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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25479217">The Chase</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Santa_Cruz/pseuds/Santa_Cruz'>Santa_Cruz</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Life Is Strange (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/F, F/M, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:36:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>117,146</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25479217</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Santa_Cruz/pseuds/Santa_Cruz</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A research ship has been hired by the State of Oregon to work with Oregon State University in the small town of Arcadia Bay.<br/>In 1906, the community resort of Bayocean was founded in Tillamook County, Oregon, United States. Less than a decade later it was known as "The Town That Fell Into the Sea."<br/>What an archaeologist thought was the first step into her new career has turned into a deadly adventure when a map she has in her possession unveils clues to William Bancroft's treasure. Who's William Bancroft, you ask? Why, he's one of the last pirates of the seas, who pillaged and murdered the unfortunate during the California Gold Rush.<br/>Follow an archaeologist, two divers, and a Coast Guard officer on an adventure of a lifetime that will have them fighting for their lives as they uncover clues left behind from a 19th-century pirate named Bluebeard.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Maxine "Max" Caulfield &amp; Chloe Price, Maxine "Max" Caulfield/Chloe Price</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>100</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>80</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. New Beginnings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A young girl with auburn hair and a spray of freckles across her nose and cheeks sat curled up in a big, worn, swivel leather chair. She dipped her nose back under the oversized, cable-knit, ivory sweater that was miles too big for her small frame. She placed the collar over her nose and once again smelled his scent. Her arms wrapped around her legs that were curled up to her chest for comfort and warmth. Her eyes peered out over the collar as she looked around the home office again. The walls were adorned with pictures of his years on the sea, collected artifacts of the 19th and mid-20th-century, and knick-knacks that he'd picked up through the years in his travels. She looked at his desk in front of her, piled with open nautical charts, maps, books, and scribbled notes. His favorite coffee mug with a few chips around the handle and edge had a picture of a lighthouse with the words 'Arcadia Bay, Your Home to Peace and Contentment' written around it. His last cup of coffee sat on a small, old porthole that he'd picked up somewhere in his travels, using it as a coaster. Her eyes looked at the tall model ship she'd placed on the desk. It was the last project they'd done together some months ago. Her eyes glanced down by the office table drawers to his faded leather and blue canvas satchel that he carried everywhere. She leaned over, picked it up, and looked at the initials, 'M.C.' Her little thumb caressed the embossing as she thought about him. She hugged the shoulder bag and let out a mournful sigh as she closed her eyes, wishing to hear her grandfather's voice again, telling her about his travels. The room was silent for a moment as she waited one last time, listening.</p>
<p>"I can't fuckin' believe this," a man outside the closed room growled.</p>
<p>"Ryan, language," a woman's voice scolded him with a loud whisper.</p>
<p>"Jesus Christ. How? How, why did he do this?"</p>
<p>"Ryan," his wife scolded him again for the language.</p>
<p>"Vanessa," he countered, not wanting to be quiet and held back over his emotions, "is there absolutely anything you can do? Anything at all? This is…" Ryan looked at a thick document in his hands. "All of this, you're telling me, is legal?"</p>
<p>Another man in a business suit spoke up, apologetically, "I'm sorry, Ryan, I went over everything and…" He cleared his throat and looked at the document. "It's, ahh," he could only glance at his friend, "it's legal."</p>
<p>Ryan asked, running out of ideas, "Can... can you delay it so I can fight it in court?"</p>
<p>"I can try to delay it for maybe a week, but Ryan, it will cost money, and that family will come back with their lawyers and get it turned over in less than a day."</p>
<p>Ryan whispered to himself as he kept his emotion held once more, "Why? Why would he do this?"</p>
<p>"I don't know… I really don't know," the lawyer replied.</p>
<p>There was a pause between the three adults in the living room. "Are they out there now?" Ryan asked the lawyer.</p>
<p>"Yeah... and he brought along the police."</p>
<p>Ryan scoffed, "Fuckin' asshole, hiding behind others, as always."</p>
<p>Vanessa's voice became softer as she placed her hand on his forearm, "Ryan."</p>
<p>The man let out a big breath of air, and lightly shook his head as he looked down at the floor, defeated, "let's go."</p>
<p>The young girl heard the footsteps walk towards the office room door, then it opened. Her mother stood in the doorway with red, glassy eyes. She mournfully smiled at the young girl in the leather chair. "Maxine, honey, it's time to go." </p>
<p>Max quietly got out of the chair, put her grandfather's satchel over her shoulder, and picked up their model ship. She walked to the door and closed it about halfway, the way that he liked it. She turned to see her father holding back tears as he forced a smile. He placed his hand on the top of her head and brushed away her hair, showing her sad blue eyes. His voice was quiet and caring, "Time to go, Digger."</p>
<p>The westerly winds were coming off the water in the bay, bringing an overcast day and cold temperatures to the small town of Arcadia Bay. The lawyer was the first to walk out of the family home, followed by Vanessa with her and Max's luggage in hand. Max waited for her father to close the door and she watched him hand over the keys to the lawyer. Ryan picked up his luggage and placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder to guide her to the car. Max went to the open car door that her mother stood by and was stopped by another man. She looked up at the police officer who gazed down at her. He apologetically stated, "I'm sorry, miss, but you cannot take that."</p>
<p>Ryan stood by his open driver's side door and looked at the officer, then to another man in the business suit and glasses, standing next to the black town car parked on the side of the street. "You cannot be serious?" The businessman didn't say a word or express any emotion. Ryan looked at the officer and watched him lean down and gently take the model ship away from his daughter. The small girl frowned and her eyes welled up. Ryan stared back at the businessman, angry. "Sean, it's a model ship. It's something she remembers of him."</p>
<p>The officer with the model in his hands looked at Sean Prescott to see if the man would change his mind. Sean, with no emotion in his voice, reiterated, "I said everything, Officer Ross."</p>
<p>The officer turned and quietly spoke to the young girl, "I'm sorry, miss." Max looked at her mother then over to her father, hoping that there was something that they could do.</p>
<p>Ryan saw his daughter's sadness and her tear-filled eyes. He clenched his jaw, glared, and growled at Sean, "You fuckin' asshole." Vanessa helped Max into the backseat and then closed the door. She scowled at Sean as she got in the front seat, letting her husband continue, "You take something that has NO fucking value to you and means the world to her."</p>
<p>Sean countered, "Don't take your anger out on me. You want to be angry, be angry at your father. It was his fault he couldn't pay off his debts. He signed away the house, including its contents to my father years ago." A brief smirk appeared. "Maybe if you knew him better-"</p>
<p>"You're a piece of shit!" Ryan yelled. "Your whole fucking family is nothing but scum. Someday-" Ryan began to speak a warning but was stopped by his lawyer, who had placed an arm on his shoulder. "It's not worth it, Ryan." He knew that Sean would go that far in laying charges if Ryan uttered a single threat. </p>
<p>Ryan clenched his teeth and swore under his breath, "Someone is gonna show the world who you really are." The lawyer glanced at Sean with a sense of guilt, then looked away. The Prescott's family money had bought off another person from the town. Ryan got in the family car, started it, and drove away from his father's home.</p>
<p>In the light rain, the young girl rested her head on the window and watched the water droplets run down the glass. Her thumb caressed the initials of the satchel as the scenery of Arcadia Bay disappeared.</p>
<p>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Years Later…</p>
<p>The last of the inflatable underwater balloons were attached. The diver spoke into her helmet and the mic picked up her voice for the ship's crew topside, "Last one's attached. She's ready to be lifted."</p>
<p>A pixie cut blonde woman spoke into the radio topside on the ship's bridge, "Aye, ready when you are." She looked to another crew worker by her side. "Let the crane op know to be ready." The man nodded and left the room, talking on his two-way radio.</p>
<p>The diver below grabbed and pulled the handle of the inflatables. "Air's released." Four large balloons inflated, lifting the object from the ocean floor with sand and silt swirling into the water, obscuring their vision. From down below in the murky tan cloud, four white balloons emerged with an 18th-century ship's 18-pounder long gun cannon attached. The diver held on to a piece of coral that was attached to the old iron cannon, and from the sandy floor below, they were lifted for a free ride to the surface. </p>
<p>The radios picked up the diver humming the theme song to Superman. The pixie blonde rolled her eyes and got back on the radio to the deck crew, "She's coming up with the cargo."</p>
<p>"Aye," a worker radioed back.</p>
<p>The blonde walked out of the ship's bridge and shielded her eyes from the sun, high above the clear, blue sky. She reached into her breast pocket, put on a set of aviator sunglasses, and then looked over the port side of the ship as crew members were getting ready for the cargo to emerge from deep below after two centuries of rest.</p>
<p>With the tune in her head, the diver sang from below, "Bah Bah bah daaah da, Bah Bah bah daaah da, Bah Bah bah- Oh Shit!" The piece of coral she had been holding onto broke off from the cannon. "Shit!"</p>
<p>  </p>
<p>She tried to swim, but with her Surface Supplied Diving Suit, no flippers, and added weight to keep her on the ocean floor, it was too much, and she slowly started to fall backward. She watched the artifact and balloons float away to the white surface above as she clawed the water around her.</p>
<p>Flailing around, she tried to keep herself upright to find the underwater guideline. <em> Shitshitshit. </em> She came to a gentle stop from her fall unexpectedly and quickly looked down to see a robotic arm between her legs.</p>
<p>"Need a lift, Superman?" A female voice was heard over the diver's helmet speaker.</p>
<p>"I was doin' okay," the diver stated, looking over her shoulder.</p>
<p>"Pff, yeah, getting your ass in trouble again."</p>
<p>The diver swung her leg over a submersible robotic arm and then stretched out with both legs up on the opposite arm then slouched her body down as the submersible carried her.</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>"Ah, my hero." The diver smiled, looking at the woman behind the spheric glass of the Worx™ submersible. The woman was sitting comfortably with a work boot resting up by the control panel. She wore a blue and grey plaid, open, long-sleeve shirt, rolled up to her elbows. Her work pants bore a few dark oil and grease stains, with her long wavy, light-brown hair in a ponytail, covered under a beat-up ballcap. "Ready?"</p>
<p>"To the surface, my good woman."</p>
<p>"You're buying again," the submersible pilot stated.</p>
<p>"I think today a whole country will be paying our tab," the diver replied.</p>
<p>The two laughed as they headed to the surface, completing their two-month job.</p>
<p>-------------------</p>
<p>Topside, onboard, there were cheers and congratulations from the crew. The pixie blonde shook the hand of an older, excited, tanned-skin man who spoke English with a thick Spanish accent, "-And thank you each and every one of you. This is a proud day for my country!" He raised his hand, and cheers went up again from the crewmembers.</p>
<p>The diver stepped aboard and was helped out of her equipment. Her helmet was pulled off by a crew member as she unzipped and stepped out of her drysuit. "Is it the one?" she asked, taking off the blue bandana draped over her short choppy strawberry blonde hair. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked over, seeing the submersible pilot adjusting her beat-up ball cap with a smile. "See for yourself." The diver turned and saw the front of the long gun cannon barrel opened, revealing Spanish doubloons. The submersible pilot lightly smacked the diver on the shoulder. "Payday, Price, fuckin' payday."</p>
<p>The pixie blonde, along with another woman wearing an off-white beanie, walked up to the diver and pilot with champagne glasses for them. The blonde smiled. "Chloe, Sloane, it's the El Rantoncito cannon." The two women laughed, took the champagne, and celebrated with everyone.</p>
<p>The Chase Foundation had found and returned another sunken treasure.</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>One month later...</p>
<p>A woman in her late twenties with shoulder-length auburn hair looked over a nautical chart on a table before her. Between the papers, books, and other charts, sat an old leather and blue canvas satchel with the embroidered initials of 'M.C.' A university I.D that was clipped to her pants stated her credentials: 'Oregon State University. Dr. Maxine 'Max' Caulfield. Dept. of Archaeology.'</p>
<p>Max's colleague, Dr. Warren Graham, walked into the room carrying two cups of coffee. He offered her one. "Do you think they'll arrive on time?"</p>
<p>Max hauled up the sleeves of her grandfather's old cable knit sweater that was still too big for her and took the offered coffee. "They're already here," she said, and took a sip.</p>
<p>Warren, surprised, replied, "Really, three days before the start?"</p>
<p>"Arrived about two hours ago and are anchored in the bay."</p>
<p>"Oh, man." Warren's heart pounded. "I'm getting excited."</p>
<p>Max smiled, sharing the feeling. "Me too. I'm gonna head up on the cliff and get a picture of the bay just before sunset. I want to document everything-" Max was cut off by the sound of an aircraft flying low over the mountains. They walked to the window side of the room and looked out and saw a Bell V-22 Osprey™ flying over them, heading towards the bay.</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>The V-22 pilot, Steph Gingrich, callsign 'Gygax,' aka Steph, aka S.G., spoke into her headset as she adjusted her aviator glasses, "This is N221CF November-Charlie-Foxtrot to Arcadia Bay Coast Guard. November-Charlie-Foxtrot to Arcadia Bay Coast Guard." There was a short pause before the Coast Guard replied.</p>
<p>"This is Arcadia Bay Coast Guard to NCF. How can we help you?" The aircraft pilot asked for permission to land at the Coast Guard's base. Not too long after, she was given permission and welcomed to Arcadia Bay. Her co-pilot, a pixie cut blonde woman sat next to her. Victoria Chase, callsign 'Queen,' aka Vic, aka Boss Lady, spoke into her headset, "Can you fly over the town and bay just to get a look at the area?"</p>
<p>Steph nodded. "Sure." The pilot banked the aircraft and circled around the small coastal town on an overcast day.</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>-----------------------</p>
<p>A woman sat lazily in the plane's cargo area and tilted up the brim of her cap. Sloane Black, aka Slo, aka Guppy, aka It-Was-Chloe, looked over her shoulder and out a window then spoke into her headset, "It's small."</p>
<p>Another woman the same age sat across from Sloane, looking out her own window. Chloe Price, aka Chlo, aka Price, aka It-was-Sloane, replied, "Mmm, you know what that means."</p>
<p>"No Big Chomp Burger," Sloane replied, disappointed.</p>
<p>"No, not that."</p>
<p>Sloane shrugged. "No theaters?"</p>
<p>Chloe looked back at Sloane, "Dude, when was the last time you paid for a movie?" Sloane screwed up her face and raised an eyebrow and shrugged, not knowing the answer. "Exactly…" Chloe said, then added, "Yah pirate."</p>
<p>Sloane smirked. "Okay then, small dive bars."</p>
<p>Chloe pointed her finger like a gun and shot at her dive partner. "Yup. And good ole' American diners with kick-ass burgers, none of that fancy franchise shit."</p>
<p>Sloane slouched down again and added, "With crappy coastal weather, this state rains all the freakin' time."</p>
<p>"Dude, you're from Maine, and it could be worse. It could be Seattle."</p>
<p>"I wouldn't mind Seattle, at least then I know there would be a Starbucks in town."</p>
<p>"You know what else that means?" Chloe sat back in her seat, a little disappointed in her thought.</p>
<p>Sloane shrugged again. "Wha?"</p>
<p>"Slim pickens."</p>
<p>"Ha, speak for yourself, I don't have restrictions," Sloane said with a smile.</p>
<p>Chloe smiled and, with her leg extended, tapped Sloane's boot. "Yeah, you're gonna find yourself a heavily bearded drag queen fisherman to snuggle up with?" The two women smiled as they overheard the announcement of landing.</p>
<p>-------------------</p>
<p>A middle-aged man peered through binoculars, watching the tiltrotor aircraft land. Commander Madsen, aka Commander Madsen, aka COMMANDER... Madsen of the Arcadia Coast Guard station. He watched the aircraft hover and set down in the helicopter landing zone, <a class="hoverZoomLink" href="https://imgur.com/a/7ptG8Yf"> then taxi towards a storage building</a> all the while keeping a sour look upon his face.</p>
<p>A woman stood next to him, fogging up the window with her nose pressed up against it. Petty Officer Dana Ward, aka Daners, aka D, was pouting on the inside. Commander Madsen had ordered her not to leave her post to greet the newcomers. The helicopter pilot let out a sigh. She whispered to the person standing on the other side of her, looking through their binoculars, "I have a ladyboner right now having that aircraft land here. I wanna get myself inside her." The blonde standing next to her raised an eyebrow and peeked out from her binoculars for a moment, staying quiet.</p>
<p>The ever-so 'I hear and see everything' Commander replied, looking at the name of the aircraft's tail, "You will not go within twenty yards of that aircraft." He looked away from his binoculars and to the Petty Officer. "They may have friends in high places to worm their way into using an official government landing zone and storage facilities-" The Commander had received an email from Oregon's state senator of the request. It was more of 'this is going to happen, so move your equipment out of the way for them' situation. The Commander continued, "-but that doesn't mean we don't treat them like any other vessel that comes into town. Do I make myself clear?"</p>
<p>Dana replied, "Sir, yes, Sir."</p>
<p>The Commander went back to watching the newcomers walk down the loading ramp at the back of the aircraft. Dana raised an eyebrow at the Commander's orders and glanced at the other officer next to her. <em> Ridiculous</em>.</p>
<p>The three officers watched the aircraft's crew greet their peers from The Chase, the vessel that was anchored in the bay. They moved the plane into the storage facility and offloaded their much needed equipment and supplies.</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>They then loaded up two Zodiac™ Hurricanes that were docked at the Coast Guard's pier and steered toward their larger vessel. Once the two boats were back at The Chase, the Commander went back into his office to make an official report.</p>
<p>------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Max pulled up to the lighthouse parking lot. She had wanted to take a picture of the town and the surrounding waters before the project started to mark the day. Once she reached the top, she got her picture and sat on a bench to look out over the bay at the docked fishing boats and the large vessel in the waters below. As the sun faded over the horizon the light quickly disappeared and the coastal weather turned for the worse. Max, in her long raincoat with her hood up, stood in the downpour.</p>
<p>The heartbeat of Arcadia was the lighthouse that stood behind Max. Its pulse lit up the bay and the surrounding town as she watched from below. Chain lightning flashed overhead and the skies rumbled. Her moment of calm was over, tomorrow was going to be a busy day. In fact, the next six months were going to be non-stop, but it was something she looked forward to.</p>
<p>The wind picked up, along with the rain. Max shielded herself against the elements and decided there was no point in being out in this type of weather. <em> Another storm coming</em>. She held down the brim of her hood and turned back to her vehicle but was suddenly and violently shoved. She was spun halfway around and pushed hard up against the back of the park bench. Her body was pushed forward and forced to bend over and kept in that position. She screamed and tried to fight her attacker off. Hands tore her raincoat to the side and Max's eyes widened. "NO!" she screamed out. She felt her body lurch to the left as the attacker hauled at her satchel. She turned to see who it was but the brim of her hood was too far down. She blindly swung her arm back, screaming, hoping to connect with whoever was there. The wet mud underneath her feet made her footing uneven and she slid to the side. Max then felt something slam into her face, her head snapped back, knees buckled, and she stumbled further back, slipping again in the slick mud. The back of her calf hit up against the unkempt low fencing around the cliff, knocking her off-balance. She fell backward, waving her arms in front of her to grasping for anything. Max screamed, feeling the weightless sensation as she watched herself rapidly move away from the lighthouse.</p>
<p>-------------------</p>
<p>"Dammit," Victoria said, looking out at the bow of the ship. She pressed the ship's intercom switch, "S.G to a com, S.G to a com."</p>
<p>A few seconds later, the bridge phone rang. Steph asked, "S'up?"</p>
<p>"Can you check the electrical on the bow deck lightings? Two are not staying on."</p>
<p>"On it."</p>
<p>"Thank you."</p>
<p>Victoria turned to a woman leaned up against a wall talking with the helmsman. "Price, can you go on deck to check it out, please?"</p>
<p>Chloe nodded, put on her raincoat, and went outside into the storm. She walked towards the bow, watching the deck light flickering. Lightning lit up the sky and she looked up towards the lighthouse as a second flash occurred. Her eyes widened as she saw something fall from the cliff to the water below. Chloe ran to the nearest ship's intercom, "Man in the water! Man in the water! Lighthouse cliff, south side! Lighthouse cliff, south side!"</p>
<p>The Chase's alarm sounded and all exterior deck lights illuminated the ship and the surrounding waters.</p>
<p>Victoria picked up the ship's intercom, "Rescue teams to stations. Man in the water. Lighthouse cliff, south side. Rescue teams to stations. Man in the water. Lighthouse cliff, south side. Captain to the bridge. Captain to the bridge."</p>
<p>The Captain walked into the bridge area as a radio operator sent out a call. "Mayday-mayday-mayday. This is The Chase, this is The Chase, this is The Chase. Charlie, Hotel, Alpha, Sierra, Echo."</p>
<p>Steph, with some crew, ran outside. "Where?"</p>
<p>Chloe pointed. "Between those two ridges right there."</p>
<p>Steph stepped next to Chloe to see where she was pointing and then got on her two-way radio and ordered the spotlights to be directed towards the lighthouse area.</p>
<p>The ship's engines fired up as Sloane emerged from below with other personnel.</p>
<p>Chloe called for her, "Slo! With me!" The woman followed her dive partner to a Zodiac™ boat where they jumped in. Chloe hit the crane switch and lowered the boat. As the fiberglass v-hull hit the stormy water, Sloane fired up the engines. Crewmembers disconnected the crane from above and the boat sped away with Chloe by Sloane's side, pointing to a direction.</p>
<p>-------------------</p>
<p>"This is the Arcadian Coast Guard, what is your emergency?"</p>
<p>The Chase's radio operator explained, "Arcadia Bay Coast Guard, this is The Chase anchored in Arcadia Bay southwest of your location. We have a report of someone falling off the lighthouse cliff on the south side. We have started a search and rescue and need assistance."</p>
<p>The Captain and the bridge crew waited for a response.</p>
<p>-------------------</p>
<p>The V-hull boat jumped out of the water and hit the next wave as Chloe indicated a specific area for Sloane to steer towards. As they reached a few meters from the cliff's edge, Sloane kept her distance, putting the boat perpendicular to the waves. Chloe stood by the outboard engines, switched on the boat's spotlight that was mounted to the roll bar and started scanning the dark water. "I can't see anything more than a few feet in this weather. Can you get closer?!"</p>
<p>"No! Any closer and the waves will bring us up against the cliff!"</p>
<p>"Aye!"</p>
<p>Sloane got on the radio, "We need extra lighting, asap."</p>
<p>"Aye," Victoria replied.</p>
<p>Chloe pivoted the spotlight, lighting up a small portion of waves swirling and slamming up against the cliff rocks. The water's surface was hammered with the rainfall, making it visibly challenging to see anything on the surface. She put a hand over her brow and squinted as she continued to search.</p>
<p>-------------------</p>
<p>The alarm went off at the Arcadian Coast Guard headquarters. A blonde officer relayed the situation over the speakers as the crew listened for instructions. Dana and her helicopter crew ran to their lockers, grabbing their equipment as the boat crews made their way to their vessels.</p>
<p>-------------------</p>
<p>"I can barely see anything," Chloe called out. As if on cue, multiple spotlights were directed to the area as The Chase was in position.</p>
<p>Sloane shouted, "They would have floated down in that area with the current!"</p>
<p>"Move back then!" </p>
<p>Sloane put the boat in reverse and kept it in a position to face the waves. She turned her attention back to the helm and yelled, "BRACE! BRACE! BRACE!" Chloe turned to see a large wave come towards their boat. She grabbed onto the nearest handles and bore down. When the boat met the wave, Sloane hit the acceleration and grit her teeth. She held onto the wheel and onto a handle. She put the two outboard engines to work as the boat powered itself up and through the wave's crest, covering the two in cold ocean water.</p>
<p>Like a wet dog, Sloane shook her head back and forth then looked back at her partner to see that she was still there. Chloe went back to the search as Sloane kept the boat in position. Once again, their vessel dipped down into the trough of a wave. With an eerie silence around them, Sloane yelled for another brace. She hit the acceleration and their boat proceeded to climb another huge wave. Chloe, out of the corner of her eye, saw a blazing orange color in the water. "THERE!" she called out as she was hit with a wall of seawater. She wiped her face and yelled out, "I saw something over there!"</p>
<p>Sloane looked over her shoulder, confirmed again that Chloe was still onboard, and saw the direction she was pointing. Sloane put the boat in reverse once more.</p>
<p>Chloe's arm shot outward, pointing like a hunting dog. "CONTACT!" Her eyes were glued to the body floating face-up in the water. Sloane turned her head, looking to where Chloe was pointing. She then grabbed the flare gun, put a shell into it, held it up to the sky and fired. The blazing rocket flew into the air, giving out their location. She got on the radio a few seconds later and relayed to The Chase to put their lights directly on their site. Someone had been found.</p>
<p>Chloe yelled over the winds, "They're gonna hit the rocks! Keep an eye on them!"</p>
<p>Sloane called back, "Aye! I have eyes on them!"</p>
<p>Chloe turned from the water, quickly got around the helm, took off her coat and footwear, opened a case, and put on equipment. A moment later, she activated the strobe light on her vest and then went overboard. "Diver in the water, Diver in the water," Sloane relayed back to The Chase.</p>
<p>Chloe swam with purpose, looking through a diver's mask. She pumped her legs, put her fins to work, and reached the person floating in the water. <em> Oh shit, it's a kid </em>. Chloe hauled the trailing rescue can's rope that was attached to her. She wrapped her arms around the person with her rescue can, keeping both of them afloat. She then began to swim back against the current, but it proved futile. Sloane grabbed the rescue throw bag and tossed it to Chloe's side, who was already looking for it. The diver attempted to grab for it and missed as the two were swept further away by the underwater current and towards the cliff rocks. Sloane hauled the rope back in, hand over hand, and threw it at her mark again. Chloe grabbed and held on as Sloane attached the line to the boat's roll bar. She turned to see another huge wave coming toward her. Sloane yelled for brace out of instinct and training. Unfortunately, Chloe couldn't hear her.</p>
<p>The diver felt the tug on the rope, indicating to her that Sloane had her in tow. She then saw the previous wave in front of her and how high it was above them. She knew what was coming next. The diver gripped the rope tighter and waited to take a deep breath at the right moment. She felt the water hit the back of her neck, took her breath, and was forced underwater along with the victim she held onto. Chloe heard the water rush past her ears and watched the surface fall away as she went below the waterline and into the cold darkness. The diver squeezed the person in her arms and wrapped her legs around them to keep hold. <em> Not letting you go. </em></p>
<p>Chloe was brought through to the other side of the crest. She released her held breath and looked back for her partner.</p>
<p>Sloane looked back, seeing Chloe still holding on and steered the boat away from the cliffside's danger. Once away, she slapped the shifter in neutral then attached the small boarding ladder over the side. Sloane hauled Chloe's line toward the boat and when the diver reached the side of the craft, Chloe grabbed the ladder, went under the water and powered herself upwards, lifting the body up for Sloane.</p>
<p>Sloane, leaning over the side, grabbed onto the small frame across their chest and lifted the body over and aboard. She placed them on the boat's deck and immediately started first aid. Chloe got aboard, took off her equipment, and they switched jobs.</p>
<p>"You got them?" Sloane asked.</p>
<p>"Aye, I got them."</p>
<p>Chloe took out the first aid box as Sloane went back to the helm and radio. "One person recovered, unconscious, heading to shore. Need an ambulance asap. Over."</p>
<p>"Understood. Relaying to Coast Guard your situation. Over."</p>
<p>Sloane headed for shore as the Coast Guard boat met up with them. They turned around and trailed behind The Chase's Zodiac™.</p>
<p>Victoria radioed back, "Sloane, head for the Coast Guard headquarters, they'll have an ambulance waiting. Over."</p>
<p>"Aye, understood, heading for Coast Guard headquarters. Over." Sloane headed for the northern part of Arcadia Bay, seeing the flashing ambulance lights.</p>
<p>Chloe drew back the hood on the person's coat and rolled the body onto its side. To the diver's surprise, the person started coughing and threw up seawater, gasping for air. They then thrashed about, thinking they were still in the water. Chloe steadied the person on their side, protecting them from hitting their head on the deck from the boat going through choppy waters. "Easy, you're onboard a boat. I got you." The small-framed person threw up more seawater. Chloe quickly cut off the person's raincoat and brushed the hair from their face and noticed that it was a woman. Chloe removed the woman's satchel that was across her chest as the woman once again coughed and threw up. The woman gasped for air, coughed again then rolled to her back. She peered up, exhausted.</p>
<p>Chloe leaned down to comfort her and talked into her ear, "I got you, you're safe, you're onboard our boat. We're heading for shore, you're going to be alright."</p>
<p>The woman's teeth chattered and her body shook from the cold waters. She grabbed with what little strength she had onto Chloe's hand, scared. Chloe held on to the small hand and smiled a warm smile. It comforted the woman. In truth, she felt Chloe's heat from her hand, needing it.</p>
<p>"Don't let me go," she said in a raspy voice.</p>
<p>"I won't." Chloe brushed the woman's hair away from her face. "I got you. You're safe."</p>
<p>"Price!" Sloane called out, tossing her a grey, wool blanket. Chloe caught it and laid it over the young woman to try to keep her warm.</p>
<p>Chloe leaned down and made small chit chat to keep the woman awake, "My name is Chloe. What's yours?"</p>
<p>"M-M-Max." Her teeth chattered so much she could barely get her name out.</p>
<p>"Well, Max, I'm happy to meet you."</p>
<p>"N-n-not as m-much aasss I am."</p>
<p>Chloe chuckled as she reached for the first aid box. "Max, I'm gonna put this mask over you and give you some oxygen, okay?"</p>
<p>Max didn't reply as her body shook. She concentrated on pushing air in and out of her lungs. Chloe placed the mask's elastic band over Max's head and put the mask in place, tightening it on its sides. "There we go." Chloe looked up towards the shoreline, then back down to Max. "Almost there, Max, just a few minutes, there's an ambulance waiting for you. You're going to be okay." Chloe placed her jacket over Max for an extra layer, then Sloane tossed hers to Chloe for yet another.</p>
<p>Max tiredly stared at the woman leaned over her. She again held her rescuer's hand, bringing it to her chest to keep her warm. Max's eyes felt so heavy, her body drained of any energy. She wanted nothing more but to sleep, it was too much to keep her eyes open. Her last image was of sky blue eyes looking down upon her.</p>
<p>"Don't worry, Max. I got you." </p>
<p>Max passed out, feeling the warmth of another hand on her cheek. <em> Don't let me go. </em></p>
<p>---------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>A man in a business suit stood within an elegant office and yelled as lightning flashed outside his floor to ceiling window behind his desk, "You what?!" </p>
<p>Two men stood before him. One of them, Damon Merrick, a local thug covered in tattoos with his hair slicked back, explained, "We tried to grab the satchel, but the bitch slipped and fell over the fucking cliff."</p>
<p>A man in his late-twenties, Nathan Prescott, watched his father, Sean, turn a shade of dark red as he continued to yell. The son quietly sipped his bourbon and listened to the failings of his father's 'henchmen.'</p>
<p>"You fucking imbeciles!" Sean yelled again.</p>
<p>The second henchman, Frank Bowers, who had his own set of tattoos, explained, "I tried to grab her but the ground was slick with mud, I almost went over myself."</p>
<p>"Oh, my Jesus fucking Christ!" Sean growled and threw his glass of bourbon at the wall, shattering it. "How can you fuck up stealing a bag from a woman that is as small as she is?! She's a fucking woman!" Nathan showed the tiniest of a smirk and it quickly disappeared. He wondered if this would be the day the man would drop dead from a heart attack. Sean turned around and picked up his phone, moving his thumb across the screen and searching for a contact. "Get out of my sight," he growled again. The two henchmen didn't move. "GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!"</p>
<p>The two men turned and walked towards the door as Sean spoke to someone on the phone. Nathan took another sip, watching the two men. They glanced at him and Nathan lightly scoffed at their incompetence. The two men clenched their jaws and furrowed their brows, seeing him quietly judge them with nothing more than a look and a smirk. The door closed and Nathan glanced back at his father as he watched and learned.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-------------------</p>
<p>credits:</p>
<p>The Chase's ship is an <a href="http://www.artesedesign.com/refits.html">Alucia Joseph Artese design.</a></p>
<p>
  <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_air_source#/media/File:Navy_Diver.jpg">Surface Supplied Diving Suit</a>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Permission to Come Aboard</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The morning was beautiful and calm, like most days after a storm. By late afternoon the humidity rose, and it had a fifty-fifty chance for rain again. Victoria stood in the bridge of The Chase at the end of the day crew's shift, sipping her tea and going over the next day's work schedule.</p>
<p>The Captain received the day's report and spoke with her about the weather. "I'm betting that it won't rain, but it would be nice for a few minutes to bring down the humidity-" He stopped talking as the radio announced instructions.</p>
<p>"This is the Coast Guard to the marine vessel The Chase, please respond."</p>
<p>The radio operator replied, "This is The Chase, how can we be of service?"</p>
<p>The Coast Guard radio operator instructed, "Maintain your current position, you are to be boarded for inspection."</p>
<p>Victoria looked up from her laptop and at the radio personnel, then stood, looking out the back window at a Coast Guard boat coming up from behind them. "Dammit."</p>
<p>Victoria went to the ship's intercom, "Attention, Attention, Attention. Coast Guard will be boarding The Chase for inspection, Coast Guard boarding for inspections. Leads on deck, Leads on deck."</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>"Better not scrape my baby," Victoria mumbled. She and two other women watched the Coast Guard's boat dock next to The Chase. "Where's Sloane?" she asked.</p>
<p>"Don't know," Steph replied.</p>
<p>"Goddammit."</p>
<p>"Probably in the Fishbowl with her earphones on," Chloe replied.</p>
<p>"Goddammit," Victoria repeated.</p>
<p>An older man with a 'pornstashe,' Chloe had mumbled, greeted Victoria and her crew standing next to her.</p>
<p>"Permission to come aboard," the man asked, with one foot already on The Chases gangway stairs.</p>
<p>It wasn't permission, it was more of a statement hidden as a polite question. Victoria knew very well that the Coast Guard, at any time, could board a boat without needing a warrant to make inquiries, examinations, inspections, searches, seizures, and arrests.</p>
<p>"Permission granted," Victoria replied. She watched the man and a younger woman, along with a boarding crew, carrying assault rifles step onboard the ship. Victoria looked back at her crew and they all had the same thought… <em> Goddamn Coasties. </em></p>
<p>The lead officer held out his hand to greet her. She'd taken it upon herself to be 'polite,' giving them a chance to explain their boarding.</p>
<p>The officer introduced himself. "Commander David Madsen."</p>
<p>"Commander," Victoria nodded and shook the man's hand. "Victoria Chase. Welcome aboard The Chase." Aka home sweet home, aka Boatie McBoatFace.</p>
<p>The Commander raised his brow, surprised that an actual Chase was on board. He nodded and continued, getting his composure back, "My Lieutenant, Rachel Amber." Aka Lieutenant, aka L.T, aka Rach; she was soon to get another, aka. The Lieutenant gave a nod as her eyes searched the deck and what was on it.</p>
<p>The Commander announced as Victoria internally rolled her eyes, "Title 14 section 89 of the United States Code, the Coast Guard will be doing a search of your ship." Commander Madsen didn't have to have a reason why he was boarding any ship as by U.S. law could do so. Though seeing the name of the vessel was the reason why he was there. "Ma'am, will you be escorting me through this inspection, or will another crewman be accompanying me?"</p>
<p>"It's Mrs. Chase, and yes, I will be escorting you, along with our Captain," she replied as The Chase's Captain walked through a doorway to greet the Coast Guard.</p>
<p>"Evening, Captain William Easton," He said, shaking the Commander's hand.</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>Commander Madsen set out his order to his officers and started the inspection. Steph and two other crew members escorted a team down into the engine room while he stayed on deck with his Lieutenant and three other officers. "Can you inform me if there are any firearms on board this ship?"</p>
<p>"Yes, there are," Captain Easton replied.</p>
<p>The Commander nodded unsurprised. For this type of ship, he knew there would be firearms. The things that happened over open international waters, where there were no rules, ship crews had to take care of themselves to fight off the modern-day pirates. Which in his mind, that's what he thought of The Chase's crew.</p>
<p>"I need to see the weapons and the proper documentation for each weapon." The Commander promptly asked.</p>
<p>Victoria didn't show her displeasure, but she knew this was probably going to be a long evening…</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>In her little part of the world, Sloane leaned back in a seat of the submersible, aka Big Guppy, aka Fishbowl. She bobbed to the music that played through her earbuds as she held up her creation and smirked. <em> MacGyver got nothin' on me</em>. She climbed out of the Fishbowl and made her way to the bridge with her head down, looking at and adjusting her creation, very much unaware of the Coast Guard's boarding.</p>
<p>After the weapon inspection that went unusually quick, Commander Madsen asked, "What is your reason for being in Arcadia?"</p>
<p>Victoria responded, "We've been hired by Oregon State and the University to help conduct surveying and excavation of Arcadia Bay."</p>
<p>"Any other reason why you are here?"</p>
<p>Chloe listening in, furrowed her brow and leaned against some equipment. <em> What the fuck are you getting at? </em> Before the diver could speak her thoughts, the Coast Guard search team came up from below and reported to the Lieutenant, declaring nothing illegal was found.</p>
<p>"Just here for the surveying and salvaging," Victoria replied, 'politely,' looking back at the Commander.</p>
<p>Commander Madsen grunted, "Any other weapons on board your ship?"</p>
<p>Before Victoria could answer, Sloane, climbed up the steep steps to the deck, speaking with her down, "Guys, I found a neat way to set off explo-" Her eyes shifted to a set of blue cargo pants at her eye level that were nice and snug against a set of shapely legs. Sloane's eyes went up as she climbed the stairs last few steps at the woman's athletic body then looked into intense hazel eyes. At the top of the stair for good measure, Sloane inspected the woman from boots to hips, chest, neck, lips, and eyes once more. Her words were caught in her throat, and the only thing that managed to come out was an elongated, "Ohhh." (aka Lieutenant, Ohhh) Sloane ran out of the air in her lungs to produce the word. She swallowed, staring at the woman before her in a daze, probably because she hadn't taken a breath of air yet.</p>
<p>Commander Madsen spoke up, "Is that a denotation switch?!"</p>
<p>Sloane kept her eyes on the blonde standing a couple of feet away from her, and like a child, hid the switch behind her back. Her eyes darted to Captain William, Chloe, Victoria, then back at the Lieutenant. <em> Ohhh. </em></p>
<p>The Lieutenant's eyes glared at the wide-eyed woman with the denotation switch. She placed her hand on her sidearm.</p>
<p>Captain Easton spoke up, "We have a small amount of explosives for our salvaging purposes."</p>
<p>Commander Madsen quickly replied, "I want all documentation, certifications, and a visual inspection of the material and who's qualified to use it."</p>
<p>Sloane, still wide-eyed and innocent, just stared at the blonde in front of her, wanting to introduce herself, but what came out was, "I make things go boom." She then blinked with a goofy smile on her face.</p>
<p>Victoria called out, "Sloane."</p>
<p>Sloane mumbled her thoughts out loud, "You're in a uniform."</p>
<p>The Lieutenant tilted her head ever so slightly, a little confused at the woman standing before her.</p>
<p>Victoria barked an order. "Get your documentation for demolitions!"</p>
<p>Sloane, without taking her eyes off the officer in front of her, shoved her device into Steph's hands, then turned and walked away, mumbling, "When did she walk aboard, where was I, I never…"</p>
<p>The Lieutenant kept her eyes on the woman and motioned for a couple of officers to follow the brunette.</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>Sloane returned with her documentation a few minutes later, minus the Coast Guard officers who were ordered to follow her. They had somehow lost the woman in mere seconds as she walked through the ship's halls.</p>
<p>The Lieutenant glanced over the woman's shoulder, who was once again standing in front of her with a peculiar smile and wondered where they were.</p>
<p>In a small cargo container, Captain Easton stood with the Commander as he showed the officer the explosives on board. "We only carry a small amount for salvaging, enough to get through some rock or locked flooded shipping containers."</p>
<p>The Lieutenant held out her hand for Sloane to hand over her documentations, but the woman remained still. Steph nudged Chloe for her to take notice of how Sloane was acting very much out of character. Sloane, with her goofy smirk, stared at the officer whose hand was outstretched, still waiting for the paperwork. The Lieutenant's, Steph's, and Chloe's attention were taken away as the missing Coast Guard officers finally showed up on deck. The officers looked at one another then at the woman they were supposed to follow. </p>
<p>"Your paperwork?" Lieutenant Amber asked, glaring for a second at her officers. She then looked at the needed paperwork, then at Sloane when the woman didn't pass them over. </p>
<p>Sloane's thoughts, once again, whispered out with a little panic, "She's talking to me, ohhh, what do I do?"</p>
<p>Rachel furrowed her brow, "Excuse me?"</p>
<p>Chloe stepped forward and took the documentation from Sloane's hand and gave it to the Lieutenant. "Here." She took Sloane's arm and hauled her over to the side of some equipment. "You sit here, last night's fun has gone to your head." When Chloe was closer to Sloane she whispered, "Dude? What the fuck did you smoke?"</p>
<p>Sloane's eyes were still on the blonde officer as she whispered loudly to Chloe, it was easily heard by the Lieutenant, "She's in a u-ni-fooorm."</p>
<p>Chloe half-rolled her eyes, her dive partner had a thing for people in uniforms. Chloe gave out orders, "Sit. Stay…" She took the homemade device Steph was holding and gave it back to Sloane. Chloe smiled, "Play with your toy, and stop drooling."</p>
<p>Sloane snapped her mouth shut and played, glancing up every few seconds at a specific woman.</p>
<p>The Lieutenant commented as she looked over the paperwork, "You thought last night was fun?"</p>
<p>Chloe shrugged. "Eeh, not our first rodeo."</p>
<p>Rachel raised her eyebrows and slowly nodded her head as she turned over a sheet of paper. "I guess I should have expected as much from you guys." She glanced up from the paperwork.</p>
<p>Chloe furrowed her brow. "What does that mean?"</p>
<p>"Well, this is The Chase, after all. The ship that stole the Spanish Decree treasure a few months ago."</p>
<p>Steph stood up from leaning on a cargo container, and Chloe turned to face the officer. "I prefer 'commandeered for a moment.'"</p>
<p>"And shot government officials," The Lieutenant quickly retorted.</p>
<p>Sloane spoke up, happy to talk with the woman, "We tried water cannons, but there was an issue with our pumps, and we lost pressure. So we-"</p>
<p>"Ended up using a bazooka to destroy a government ship," the Lieutenant replied.</p>
<p>Sloane smiled again, this woman knew what Sloane did with the bazooka. The beautiful lady knew what Sloane did, and the brunette whispered back again, innocent in her words, "I-I make things go boom."</p>
<p>The Lieutenant, not impressed with Sloane's reply or her past actions, furrowed her brow at Sloane. Chloe responded, "It worked, they stopped pursuing."</p>
<p>"And you got away with millions of dollars in Spanish doubloons."</p>
<p>Steph not liking the implication the Lieutenant made, replied with an edge to her voice, getting Victoria's attention as she stood with Captain and Commander outside a shipping container, "All of that was returned to the rightful country."</p>
<p>Chloe folded her arm across her chest, tilted her head, and added with an attitude, "And those 'government officials' were hired local gangs armed with Ak-47's to steal and sell it on the black market. So, yeah, their ship got blown the fuck up when they decided to fire upon us first."</p>
<p>Commander Madsen had failed to mention that part of the report. Still, Rachel continued, not wanting to back down, "And you received a healthy finder's fee..."</p>
<p>Sloane perked up again as she spoke to the Lieutenant who looked at her, "Yeah, I bought a new la-"</p>
<p>Chloe leaned forward a bit and spoke over Sloane, "Hey, it's the job we were hired to do, and the incident that took place you speak of was in international waters. We did what had to be done for the situation."</p>
<p>Rachel pushed back again, "Like the situation with the Haitian boat two years ago?"</p>
<p>The noise of Sloane dropping her device put the attention back onto her. What kept their attention was the happiness and smirk were gone, replaced with a dejected look across her face. Steph stepped towards the Lieutenant with a pissed off look. "Hey!"</p>
<p>Sloane turned and walked away from the group.</p>
<p>Chloe turned back to the Lieutenant with her jaw clenched. Before she spoke, Victoria stepped in. "Commander Madsen, we have let you search the vessel and gave you the needed documentation... if you are satisfied-" Victoria walked towards the blonde officer with a despising glare "-Would you mind getting off my ship?" She grabbed Sloane's documentation from the Lieutenant's hands and walked back to the bridge.</p>
<p>-------------------</p>
<p>The Coast Guard boarded their boat a half-hour later after their inspection that Victoria didn't bother to continue to be a part of. She sat in the bridge, squeezing a stress ball and took long, deep breaths, trying to let go of her anger.</p>
<p>The Coast Guard steered away as Rachel stood by the stern, looking at the bow of The Chase, and the woman sitting leaned over with her heads in her hands. She wasn't sure if the woman was rocking herself or if it was their own boat's movement. Either way, Rachel felt that she had made a mistake. The Lieutenant walked next to her Commander and listened to his orders. "We'll keep an eye on them till they're gone. I don't like that they're here, not one bit."</p>
<p>Rachel looked back again at the woman, wanting to read the full report of what happened on the Haitian boat.</p>
<p>-----------------</p>
<p>Sloane stared at nothing in particular as she rubbed the palm of her hand with her thumb, mulling over old memories. She didn't realize she was rocking herself back and forth.</p>
<p>"Hey." Chloe stood behind her and was met with silence from Sloane. Chloe gave the Coast Guard their new aka's, "The Bitch, Pornstashe and the rest of the Coastie water rats are gone." Sloane still didn't speak. Chloe tried to help, "Listen, Slo-"</p>
<p>Sloane cut her off. She stood, staring out over the water. "Two years, thousands of miles away. I come to a shit hole of a town-" Sloane turned and looked at Chloe, "and I get reminded of the fuck up I made by some... fucking stranger."</p>
<p>Chloe furrowed her brow, placed her arm on Sloane and turned her, "It wasn't a fuck up, you did what had to be-"</p>
<p>Sloane took her arm out of Chloe's grasp. "Ten children died, Chloe!" She walked away. "I fucked up."</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>Chloe walked onto the bridge a few minutes later. "She left."</p>
<p>Victoria stood and walked out of the bridge, watching the personal watercraft and the woman steering it head for shore. "Where the fuck is she going?" Chloe and Steph followed, standing on either side of her.</p>
<p>"She's gonna let off some steam," Chloe replied.</p>
<p>"She's not supposed to leave the ship," Victoria answered, annoyed.</p>
<p>"Vic, just let her go, she'll be back in a few hours."</p>
<p>Victoria looked at Chloe then to Steph. She spoke with heartfelt concern, "Chloe... she can't fall again."</p>
<p>Chloe looked from Victoria then out at Sloane, making for shore and slowly nodded, understanding. She was also concerned. "I know... I'm aware."</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>Rachel was sitting in her office when Dana came in speaking in a low tone, "So we are actually going to keep an eye on The Chase till it leaves? That could be months." Rachel grunted, looking at her laptop. "You sound just as enthused as I am," the helicopter pilot added. Rachel grunted again. After a few seconds, she looked up and eyed the Commander in his office with the door closed. "D, what did the Commander tell you about The Chase?"</p>
<p>Dana replied from across Rachel's desk, "Whatever he said in the briefing this morning."</p>
<p>The Lieutenant, once she got back from The Chase, had read the full Haitian report. "He left out a lot of detail."</p>
<p>Dana raised her eyebrows. "Yeah?" Before she could ask what the information was, another person, Petty Officer, Trevor Yard, walked into the office. "Hey, just to let you know, someone just left The Chase on a PWC for the shore," he stated.</p>
<p>Rachel stood up, grabbed her binoculars, and went to a window. She watched the woman she found out was named Sloane Black, ex-military, steering her way to shore. She noticed Madsen was already on the phone with the local police asking for assistance in keeping an eye on the person coming ashore. Rachel turned and went back to her office with Dana and Trevor and gave them the full report on what happened on the Haitian ship.</p>
<p>-------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>As their shift ended, Dana asked Rachel, "Hey, you gonna be home for supper?"</p>
<p>Rachel, staring at her laptop, was taken out of her thoughts. "Ah, sorry, I got some other plans."</p>
<p>Dana smiled, "Another date with Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome-"</p>
<p>"No, he's still in Portland." Rachel smiled back at her roommate.</p>
<p>Dana chuckled and waved goodbye. "See you when you get home, love you."</p>
<p>"Love you too, see ya."</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>At the end of her shift, Rachel closed her laptop and walked over to Trevor. "What's the word on The Chase's crew?"</p>
<p>"No one else has left the vessel, and nothing has gone into the water, seems like a quiet night."</p>
<p>Commander Madsen spoke up from behind them, "If they're going to do anything, it will be during the night. I want the night crew to keep a sharp eye on them."</p>
<p>Rachel bit her tongue at the orders as she watched the Commander walk back into his office. Trevor looked over at the Lieutenant.</p>
<p>She asked, "Did you overhear the Commander's conversation with the police of where the person that came ashore was headed?"</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>"Yeah, she entered Hook, Line N' Sinker." Trevor looked towards one of the docks. "Her PWC is still docked."</p>
<p>Rachel nodded. "Thanks, Trev."</p>
<p>"No problem."</p>
<p>Rachel grabbed her coat and left for the night.</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>The local Arcadian dive bar contained numerous town trophies of the local baseball beer leagues. The four T.V.s competed not only in sound with each other but also with different games that night. Rachel entered the bar and scanned the room. She noticed someone slumped over on a barstool at the far end, leaning their head on her hand against the bar's counter. The Lieutenant walked down to the end of the bar and took a seat. The bartender looked away from the game, noticing the new customer and gave her a nod.</p>
<p>"Lieutenant."</p>
<p>"Evening, whatever she's drinking." She motioned with her head to the woman sitting to her right.</p>
<p>The bartender nodded and turned to get a bottle. The woman next to Rachel turned to see who was sitting next to her. With heavy, glassy eyes, she looked and slowly blinked. Sloane paused for a moment, then swallowed the last of her drink, took out some money, slapped it on the table, and pushed back from her stool, scrapping it across the floor.</p>
<p>"Don't go," Rachel said.</p>
<p>Sloane stoically looked at the blonde but kept moving.</p>
<p>Rachel turned on her stool to face Sloane. "Please."</p>
<p>Sloane paused as the bartender placed Rachel's drink down on the counter. Rachel glanced at the bartender, "Thank you." Then turned back to Sloane.</p>
<p>The Lieutenant looked at Sloane, studying her face. The person she met hours ago, the happy, and yeah, she thought idiotic, was gone. This person was an empty, somber, drunken shell.</p>
<p>"I have to apologize. My Commander didn't relay us all the information of what happened on the Haitian ship." Sloane didn't say a word, and her emotion didn't change. The Lieutenant continued, "I was wrong to say what I did. You saved over sixty women and children from God knows what hellish life they were going to live as sex sl-" Rachel's voice trailed away as Sloane got off her stool and stumbled, hitting a few empty chairs along the away out the door. Rachel sighed. <em> Fuck </em>. She put money on the bar to pay for her drink and left.</p>
<p>Sloane, like a zombie, shuffled down the road. She wasn't sure what road it was or actually where she was, she just kept moving. She didn't notice the Jeep that drove up next to her, keeping pace.</p>
<p>"Please tell me you're not going back to The Chase in your condition," Rachel asked as she looked at the road ahead of her, then to Sloane.</p>
<p>Sloane slurred something as she almost tripped up in the road.</p>
<p>"I can't let you." The Lieutenant said.</p>
<p>Sloane slurred again what sounded to the Lieutenant like, 'Sure you can, no biggie if I drowned.' Rachel moved her Jeep ahead, put it in park, then got out. "Come on, get in."</p>
<p>Sloane again mumbled she was in no condition to fight. Rachel guided her to the passenger seat, helped Sloane in then buckled her up. Once the door closed, the woman slumped against the door.</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>Rachel guided Sloane into the small living room in the dark, noticing that Dana's door was closed, she tried to keep quiet. "Here, just over here." She took Sloane's jacket off and tossed it on a dining chair then turned the woman around. Sloane looked at the blonde before her, leaned forward, and kissed her. Rachel leaned back. "Oh, my God!"</p>
<p>Sloane smirked, swaying on her feet, looking at the wide-eyed woman.</p>
<p>"I'm not gay!" Rachel stated as she steadied Sloane.</p>
<p>Sloane's smirk grew, and she slurred, "Neither am I technically." She opened her mouth and kissed the woman again. Rachel, with her eyes half-closed and a delayed second later, pushed Sloane back. It was enough for Sloane to stumble back. Her leg hit the arm of the couch, and she fell backward. Rachel watched Sloane's eyes go wide and reach for Rachel, missing her outstretched arms. To Sloane, she was brought back to a shipping container of girls as they frantically held out their arms from the locked door, grabbing for her. Sloane tried to open the bent cargo doors as it slid off a sinking ship. She held on as the container hit the water, kept trying to pry the door open. She went under the water as the container flood with seawater, and ten girls on the far end screamed as they began to drown. The diver's lungs burned for oxygen as they descended in the dark ocean water. Her heart clenched as she released her grip on the handle. She watched the shipping container disappear into the dark abyss with an arm reaching out for her.</p>
<p>Rachel watched Sloane grab for her arms and miss. The woman landed on the couch with her arms outstretched, still reaching for Rachel. Then her eyes rolled up in the back of her head, and her body relaxed as she passed out. The Lieutenant took off the woman's boots and placed a blanket that was on the sofa over her. She noticed a tear running down Sloane's cheek, she gently wiped it away, adjusted the blanket on top of Sloane, making sure she was covered.</p>
<p>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Into the early morning, Sloane rolled over, fell to the floor, and woke up with a start. She got to her knees with the blanket over her head and wrapped around her body. Sloane struggled for a moment to get rid of it, then stood with a dizzy headache and looked around, not recognizing where she was. Sloane noticed her clothes were still on, she blinked a few times, and wiped her eyes then checked her watch. <em> Shift is gonna start</em>. She put her feet in her boots, skipped tying them, grabbed her jacket, and quietly left the stranger's house.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Welcomes, Discoveries, and the Southern Cross</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>At the start of the week and with another beautiful day in Arcadia Bay, four of The Chases' crew walked toward a set of stairs to a local high school for their late afternoon meeting. Victoria pocketed her phone and looked up at the statue adorned on top of a fountain. "Looks like we're going to have a Coast Guard liaison onboard until further notice."</p><p>"Great," Steph replied sarcastically.</p><p>"The Captain is sending out an email to the leads, reminding everyone to follow protocol."</p><p>Sloane asked, "Are they going to follow us around?"</p><p>"I don't know. Cap just texted me the notice. He's finding out exactly what they want. So, for now, we'll play along till they get in the way, then I'll make a call to the lawyers."</p><p>"Auuugh," Chloe groaned and looked up at Blackwell Academy as she tossed a coin into the fountain.</p><p>Sloane chuckled, "Bringing back those fun memories?"</p><p>"I would rather be tossed in open waters with nothing around than to be back in high school."</p><p>Victoria smirked and adjusted her sunglasses. "That can be arranged."</p><p>The women smiled as they walked up the stairs. Steph giggled, "Imagine string bean Price with braces."</p><p>Sloane added, "With the brace headgear too and her hair in pigtails."</p><p>The three women chuckled as Chloe opened the door for her crew and glared at them. "Assholes." </p><p>Inside, a man stood in the school's main foyer, looking like he hadn't slept. He greeted the women, "Ah, Mrs. Chase?"</p><p>Victoria held out her hand. "Yes."</p><p>"Hi, I'm Dr. Warren Graham. You were to meet with my colleague Dr. Caulfield." They shook hands as he continued, "Sorry, she can't make it, but I'll bring you to our project leader and he'll fill you in on the complete project."</p><p>The group walked through the school's hallway, and Sloane stifled a yawn as they were led towards a classroom. Steph smiled and spoke in a low voice, "We're only walking down the hallway and you're already bored."</p><p>"Eh, being told to stay in your seat and listen to a monotone voice all day," she looked at the lockers and the school sports banners hanging overhead. "It was so boring." Sloane held up her hands and repeatedly kneaded in the air like a cat. "I'm more of a hands-on learner."</p><p>One of the academy's school rooms was open for the university to use. They had set up a small lab and it acted as their base for the project. Warren let the ladies walk through first. "Just in here, please."</p><p>A middle-aged man sat at a table and looked up, adjusting his glasses. "Ah, you're here, great." He walked forward with his hand outstretched. "Dr. Mark Jefferson. Please, call me Mark."</p><p>Victoria shook the man's hand. "Victoria Chase, my team, Chl-" Victoria stopped talking as she and the others turned their heads to watch a woman quickly walk into the room. Her coat was half-on and shirt half-tucked into her pants with a dark red satchel draped across her chest. She quickly drew her fingers through her messy hair then tossed her satchel and coat on a chair. "Sorry I'm late." Warren and Mark looked surprised to see their colleague. Mark asked, "What are you doing here?! You're supposed to be in the hospital, resting."</p><p>She shooed the comment away with her hand. "I'm fine, slept like a log." She turned and looked at the other people in the room then curled her hair behind her ears. "Hi," she greeted the women and shook Victoria's hand. "Dr. Max Caulfield."</p><p>Victoria once again introduced herself, then her team, "Steph Gingrich, Sloane Black and Chloe Price." Once Max shook Chloe's hand, she looked up into her eyes and paused for a moment while holding Chloe's hand.</p><p>Chloe smiled. "Hi."</p><p>"Hi." Max, wide eyed, just stared.</p><p>Chloe asked with a small smirk added, "Feeling better?"</p><p>"Hi," Max replied again, then snapping out of her daze. "Uhm, yes, t-thank you?"</p><p>"Took a nasty fall," Chloe smiled as her hand was still being held and shaken.</p><p>"O-oh, yeah," Max glanced at her colleagues then back at Chloe, "They told you what happened the other night?" </p><p>Chloe held her smile, "Nope-" Max furrowed her brow, puzzled at how the woman knew what happened to her. She then remembered that Arcadia Bay was a small town and gossip traveled like wildfire. Chloe continued, "-had a good view of your fall from The Chase."</p><p>Max's eyes widened. <em> Blue eyes, warm hand... </em> a hand she was still holding and slightly shaking. "It was you!" Max once again shook the woman's hand. "You rescued me?!"</p><p>Sloane slid over next to Chloe and leaned against her dive partner, smiling. "I was there too…" Max never took her eyes off of Chloe's. "I uh, hauled the rope…" Sloane eyed the two women gazing at one another then cleared her throat, "n' stuff..." her voice trailed off and she leaned away, putting her hands in her pocket and mumbling, "Just sayin'."</p><p>Steph tried to hide her grin from Sloane's failure.</p><p>"Thank you, oh dog, thank you so much!" Max kept shaking Chloe's hand, not really sure what to do.</p><p>Chloe chuckled at Max. "No problem, just happy you're alright." She looked down at their hands. Max noticed, quickly let go and put her hand behind her back. Chloe looked up at the spray of freckles across the woman's nose and cheeks, then saw the redness blush across them and her bright blue eyes. <em> Wow, very… very… beautifully cute</em>.</p><p>Warren stepped forward, took Max by the forearm, breaking the daze she was captured in, and turned her away from Chloe. "Are you sure you're okay?"</p><p>Max furrowed her brow for a second, confused, "Hmm, what now?" she said to Warren. Her concentration wasn't there and she glanced at the woman for a second on her right. Warren continued, leaning a little forward. "Max, you almost die-" He glanced at the tall woman next to him, watching his colleague. "Maybe you shou-"</p><p>"No-no-no, I'm fine." Max put a hand on the back of her neck, glanced at Chloe again then looked at Warren. She seemed to come out of her daze once more. "As I said, slept like a log for the past twelve hours... hmm, maybe it was more." She walked over to the miniature display on a table that portrayed Arcadia Bay and what was once Bayocean town. The archaeologist hauled up her sleeves. "So how far have you all gotten into the meeting?"</p><p>Mark adjusted his glasses again. "Ah, we haven't started yet."</p><p>Max glanced up into blue eyes once more and replied, "Great, perfect, wonderful." <em> Beautiful, oh my dog</em>. She swallowed and cleared her throat when Chloe smiled at her again. "Sorry, I need some water." Max chuckled to herself as she walked over to a table with a case of bottled water on it. "You figure with the amount of seawater I took in," She struggled a little to open the bottle. Her eyes went onto someone again, and she was caught looking. Max immediately turned away and continued, feeling warmer. "The last thing I would want is water." She lightly giggled, nervousness. <em> Am I talking too much? I'm talking too much, drink the water and be quiet. I can't, I have a presentation to do. </em></p><p>Mark stepped around the miniature display and began the presentation, "Alright then, let's begin." Max looked on, drinking water. She noticed blue eyes glancing at her with a small smile then the woman bit her lower lip. <em> Wow, very… very... Beautiful, I wanna kiss her</em>. Max coughed a little after taking in too much water.</p><p>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>The next day Max boarded The Chase in the mid-afternoon. She wanted to see the operation, crew, and to start training the university students. And maybe during all that, Max would see a specific lady in action. <em> I wonder what she does? </em> A crew member led the archaeologist to a common lab room where she noticed three women watching a large tv on the wall.</p><p>Victoria looked over and saw her enter. "Welcome aboard, Dr. Caulfield."</p><p>"Thank you. Max, please." She gave Steph a small wave. "Hi again."</p><p>"Hey, Max, have a look-see." She pointed to the tv showing two camera views of divers working; one was labeled Sloane, the other, Chloe. <em> She's a diver! </em></p><p>The two divers had spent the past few hours gridding out an area for the team to start vacuuming the bay floor. Their intercom was open, and Max heard Sloane speaking as the woman laid down another line marker. Max turned, smiling to a tight hair-bunned Coast Guard officer leaning against a table with her arms folded across her chest. "Hi. Dr. Max Caulfield."</p><p>The woman gave her a nod. "Hi, Lieutenant Rachel Amber." The officer shook the doctor's hand and both turned back to watch the tv. A fish swam into Sloane's view. "Hello, Mr. Fish," the diver greeted it. Rachel had been watching the diver since she arrived that morning and noticed that Sloane seemed to be in a better mood since Rachel had last seen her. Sloane seemed to be taking a stroll on the bay floor as she hummed along, talking to the aquatic life. The diver placed another grid marker and greeted another friend, "Hello, Mr. Rockfish." She held up her hand and flashed the fish the rock horns. "Rock on, buddy." The fish looked at her emotionless and slowly swam away.</p><p>"Is she usually like this?" Rachel asked, looking over her shoulder at Victoria and Steph.</p><p>Steph hummed, not looking up from her laptop, "For Chloe and Sloane, this is their playground."</p><p>Max chuckled. "She's humming the Sesame Street theme song."</p><p>Victoria leaned towards the microphone. "How are we doin', ladies?"</p><p>Chloe replied, "Almost finished this section." The microphone picked up her taking a breath of air. "Setting up the last few grid markers now."</p><p>Victoria pointed to a chart on the table for Max to see as the Lieutenant looked on. "They have this area set up for you."</p><p>"Oh, wow," Max replied, surprised. "I didn't think they would get that much done."</p><p>Steph smirked, "Chloe was pretty adamant about getting the dive crew started early this morning. She hauled Sloane out of bed before her shift started. Pretty sure she still had her pajamas on as Price geared her up." The two newcomers chuckled.</p><p>"Hello, Mr. Shark," Sloane said, then continued her humming. Max and Rachel immediately turned to look at the tv. Max noticed Victoria and Steph were not reacting to having a shark near their divers.</p><p>"Uhmm, is she okay?" Max asked, worried.</p><p>Victoria replied, not looking up from her work, "Yeah, the shark will be fine." Rachel smirked at the answer.</p><p>Sloane called out, "Yo Chlo, ya done? 'Cause I am huuungie. Mrs. I-Wanna-Get-This-Grid-Down-for-Cute-Freckled-Doctor."</p><p>Max raised her eyebrows as everyone in the room glanced at her. <em> Does Warren have freckles?… I never noticed them</em>. Both divers were not aware she was in the room. Victoria spoke into the radio microphone, "If you're done, come up. We have two guests here."</p><p>"Who?" Chloe asked.</p><p>"Dr. Caulfield," Victoria replied.</p><p>"We're heading back now," the diver quickly added. Steph and Victoria hid their smiles, however, the Lieutenant didn't. <em> Someone's eager. </em></p><p>"HeHe, what's the rush?" Sloane said, teasing.</p><p>"No rush, we're ahead of the job n' yeah, I'm starving."</p><p>"What's for supper?" Sloane asked.</p><p>Victoria replied, "Steak."</p><p>Both divers looked at one another and simultaneously replied, "On our way."</p><p>"Who's the second person on board?" Chloe asked as they made their way back to the stage, their caged 'elevator' to the surface.</p><p>"Lieutenant Amber," Victoria replied. There was a pause over the radio.</p><p>"K," Chloe replied.</p><p>Sloane mumbled, "Can I hang out with the fishes instead?"</p><p>Victoria retorted, "Get your ass on board, Guppy."</p><p>Sloane replied with a sigh, "Aye."</p><p>Rachel again crossed her arms over her chest then chewed the inside of her cheek. <em> Great, she's still pissed</em>. For a moment, the officer didn't know if it was from the incomplete Haitian report or her turning the woman's advances down.</p><p>Noticing the tone of the diver's voices at the mention of the officer's name, Max quietly asked, standing next to the Lieutenant, "Did something happen?"</p><p>Rachel sighed, "Yeah, I made a bad first impression."</p><p>Max nodded like she understood, but had no idea what the officer meant. "Ooh."</p><p>Victoria spoke again to the two divers, wanting to change the mood, "By the way, if you haven't remembered, it's Friday and it's at the end of the month."</p><p>Max and Rachel watched the screen as the two divers slowly jumped up in the water and high-fived each other with an "Ahhh Yeah!" Victoria turned on <a href="https://youtu.be/4Vx7MTU-UVE?t=17">music</a>  and the two diver's head cameras started to move around wildly. Above them, the ship's horn announced the end of the work shift. </p><p>Rachel stood up from leaning back on the table, a little worried, seeing the irregular camera shaking. "What's going on?"</p><p>Steph chuckled and switched to the camera on the stage cage for Max and Rachel to watch. Chloe and Sloane were busting out hip hop moves as they were slowly elevated from the bay floor. Max giggled, watching Chloe do the old school Cabbage Patch, which led into the arm wave as she passed the moves over to Sloane, who did the Egyptian that led into the Robot as Chloe did the Sprinkler Dance. Sloane, beside her, bashed out the Running Man for good measure.</p><p>Rachel facepalmed, "Oh my God."</p><p>The women in the room chuckled as the two divers continued to dance, sing, laugh and chant, "Donuts! Donuts! Donuts!" </p><p>-------------------</p><p>The team sat in the galley a half-hour later. Most of the regular crew had already eaten, leaving six women to talk amongst themselves while they had the end of the month dessert of freshly made donuts. Max was talking about how she, along with Mark, got state approval for the project.</p><p>Rachel noticed how both Max and Chloe got along. There was some definite chemistry between the two, which no one seemed to care about. She also noticed Sloane sitting a little away from everyone, shoveling food into her mouth. Rachel kept quiet, only adding to the conversation a bit with a question here or there to clarify something. She felt like the odd person out, knowing she was there not to help with the project but to act as a watchdog to make sure no laws were broken.</p><p>Sloane scraped her food tray, finishing off her meal, then stacked the tray on the rack. The bunned blonde sipped her offered tea and watched the woman walk out the door. Minutes later, Steph excused herself and went about her business for the evening shift. </p><p>Chloe drank the rest of her coffee, eyeing someone. "I got something of yours," she said, looking at Max, who was in love with the homemade donut. <em> Oh, my dog, these are amazing! </em> Max stopped chewing, tilted her head, and looked up at Chloe, "What?"</p><p><em> Christ, that is adorable. </em> Chloe stood. "Come on. I'll show ya." Both ladies left the galley, leaving Victoria and Rachel alone. </p><p>"So, how was your first day onboard?" Victoria asked.</p><p>"Riveting," Rachel answered, not enthusiastic.</p><p>"Wonderful." Victoria stood to leave, somewhat happy the woman was bored and hated her assigned job.</p><p>Rachel stood up, she needed to clarify and apologize, "I'm sorry for what I said to Sloane. I tried to apologize, but she was a little-"</p><p>"Drunk," Victoria said plainly.</p><p>Rachel slightly nodded. "Ah, yeah." Victoria didn't add to the conversation. "The Commander left out a lot of things in his report. I was out of line." Victoria listened as she picked up her tea from the table. "This job detail, also… I was given the assignment, and you know I have to follow orders."</p><p>Victoria looked at the officer standing before her then nodded. "Yeah, I know the drill." She sipped her tea then turned to leave. "You're welcome to stay the night."</p><p>"Thank you, but I'll be leaving at my scheduled time, no need for me to keep standing around."</p><p>"If that's what suits you." Victoria stepped through the galley doorway.</p><p>"Victoria?" The woman turned. "Where can I find Sloane?" The Lieutenant asked.</p><p>"Normally, I would say swimming around talking to the fish." Victoria slightly smirked, also getting the officer to do so as well. "But, you can find her probably in the Fishbowl."</p><p>Rachel nodded, then furrowed her brow, confused. "Fishbowl?"</p><p>Victoria smiled. "Stern, listen for the music. Evening, Lieutenant." </p><p>Rachel gave her a nod. "Evening." Then she was then left alone in the galley with her thoughts.</p><p>-------------------</p><p>"I am so not used to being on a ship," Max said, placing her hand on a railing in the hall.</p><p>Chloe was leading Max below deck on The Chase. She stopped and looked back, concerned. "Are you getting motion sick?" <em> Oh shit, I didn't think of that. </em></p><p>Max thought for a moment, she hadn't considered getting seasick but now noticed the slight motion of the boat. "Ahh, no. It's just so many rooms and little passageways."</p><p>Chloe continued to walk again, talking over her shoulder, "Yeah, it can be like a maze. You should see what it's like on an aircraft carrier."</p><p>"Ohh, you were on one of those?" Max asked, intrigued.</p><p>"Yep."</p><p>"What made you go into the services?"</p><p>"Finished high school, didn't have the money for college or university, saw an ad for the Navy on tv one night and signed up."</p><p>"Ahh."</p><p>"What about you? Your work, I mean."</p><p>"My grandfather brought me to a museum when I was young. I fell in love with how everything was found. To dig up the past to see how people, civilization or animals lived."</p><p>Chloe entered into a lab room. On one of the counters sat Max's journal along with her satchel.</p><p>Max, surprised, reacted to her cherished item, "OOh, oh!" She picked up her satchel and held it to her chest with so much love. Chloe noticed the care the woman had for it. </p><p>"It didn't... oh, dog." She looked at Chloe with happiness and a little sadness. "Chloe, thank you. This..." She looked at the satchel then back at the woman again. "This means so much to me. I thought it was gone forever."</p><p>Chloe smiled. "No worries, I took it off you and I forgot to give it to one of the EMT's at the time."</p><p>Max inspected her satchel.</p><p>"I soaked it in distilled water to get the saltwater out, then put it out to dry. You'll have to wax it up again so it won't dry out and split."</p><p>"Yeah, for sure. Oh, I can't believe I have it back." She hugged it to her chest once more and looked up at Chloe with a small smile. There was a moment between them again and Chloe couldn't help but smile. She was about to speak when a black-haired woman walked into the lab, pushing up her glasses. "Hey, Price." She then saw the other woman hugging the satchel. "I guess you're the owner."</p><p>"Yes." Max held out her hand and introduced herself, as did Brooke.</p><p>Brooke grinned, "Chloe spent most of a night cleaning and drying it." The diver shot Brooke a look about the extra information. Brooke's grin widened at getting that reaction. When Chloe noticed Max looking at her, she leaned on the counter, hiding her emotion, and played with a microscope's focus knob, pretending like it wasn't a big deal as Brooke continued, "She also put your phone here to dry." Brooke pointed to the container of rice. Max again raised her eyebrows, surprised. The lab technician walked around a counter to her laptop and picked up a notebook, "Good thing you use rock paper for your journal."</p><p>Max's eyes widened. <em> My journal! It had my thoughts. Oh, dog, did they read it?! Did Chloe read it?! Oh, dog, nooo... </em></p><p>Chloe could see the tension in Max and she answered the woman's thoughts, "Relax, Doc, we didn't read your journal." <em> I only skimmed it </em>. "But I did look at your map, was worried that the ink would've run or faded." Chloe used her thumb to indicate to the lab technician in the room. "Brooke also had a look."</p><p>"Oh, there was no need, it's just an old bookmark."</p><p>Brooke turned with a huge smile. "Well, I did some cleaning on it during the day while I waited for some other test results and I found something interesting." Max looked at the small unfolded 'bookmark' that Brooke had placed in a clear, protective covering. On the bottom where it was once blank, there were inscribed words. Max gasped and looked at the lab technician.</p><p>Chloe, interested in what Brooke uncovered and seeing Max's reaction asked, "You didn't know about this?"</p><p>Max shook her head. "No, It was one of his scribblings that he used as a bookmarker for his journals. I just kept using it." The archaeologist leaned forward as Chloe came around the counter to join them.</p><p>Brooke added, "Well, all of this was hidden. There were a few stains on the map that covered some of the map's key markings, and when I started..." Brooke smirked because it wasn't the first time it had happened, "I put it under a UV light and, well, after another test and some heat…" She looked at the archaeologist. "It's Invisible ink; good ol' lemon juice."</p><p>Max, Chloe and Brooke looked down at the map, and read the words that had been revealed.</p><p>
  <em> 'With eyes and a beak that doesn't belong in a tree. At the umbrella's skeleton, peer through the ship's window to see the little cancer's line that will guide you home to peace and contentment. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> With love, W.B' </em>
</p><p>"Ho-ly shit," Chloe whispered, leaning just over Max's shoulder. Max slightly turned her head with Chloe inches from her face. She looked at the sky blue eyes that held so much expression. Her gaze found its way down to the diver's lips. Max slowly turned back to the map with her thoughts on what she would like to do with the diver. <em> Oh my dog, stop staring, she's going to think I'm a creep. </em></p><p>Once Max turned back to the map, Chloe glanced at the woman she purposely got close to, taking in her features for a few moments then looked back at the map.</p><p>Maxine took a needed breath of air, realizing that she had stopped breathing.</p><p>Chloe blinked a few times to clear her lightheadedness. </p><p>-------------------</p><p>Rachel acknowledged a couple of crewmembers as she passed them, making her way towards the stern. Once she stepped outside the main deck, as Victoria had suggested, she listened for the <a href="https://youtu.be/chhJukhxeHE">music</a>. Rachel walked by a few cargo containers and equipment, hearing an acoustic guitar and a voice. </p><p>Sloane was sitting on one of the submersible's robotic arms, leaned back against the glass dome. She was looking up at the Arcadian mountains and the sky, watching the beginning of the blue hour, as she quietly strummed and sung to herself. For a few seconds, Rachel took in the peacefulness of what she saw, then noticed something off to the side. The officer giggled, seeing the other robotic arm holding a joint. Sloane stopped strumming and she turned her head. Rachel caught herself chuckling and saw that Sloane's moment of calm was interrupted. "Sorry. I'm not-" Sloane sat up and leaned her guitar against the submersible. She started to get up, seeing that her quiet place was being disturbed, not to mention that she was being laughed at. <em> What is with you, lady, haven't had enough of makin' me feel like shit? </em></p><p>Rachel quickly stepped forward and apologized again. <em> Oh no</em>. She placed a hand to her chest, "No, I'm not laughing at you. I didn't mean to disturb you… well, I-" Rachel briefly smiled, trying to sound and be sincere. Sloane studied the woman standing before her. Rachel glanced at the submersible and smirked. "I didn't know a multimillion-dollar scientific piece of equipment could also be used as a roach clip." Sloane looked over at her joint pinched between the robotic claw and took it. "You gonna charge me for possession?" Seeing that Sloane didn't think her comment was funny, Rachel stopped smiling. "What? No, no, it's legal here, I'm not gonna-" she sighed, <em> dammit</em>, this was already failing again. "Sloane, I want to apologize. I know I said it the other night, but-" Sloane furrowed her brow at the officer. For a second Rachel paused, seeing the look, then asked, "You don't remember?" Sloane kept quiet and the Lieutenant continued, "I saw you at the pub? I tried to apologize, and you walked away?" Sloane huffed with a smirk, agreeing on what her drunk self did. Rachel filled in the pieces for her, "You were walking down the street and I was worried that you would've tried to go back to the ship, so…"</p><p>Sloane asked, "That was your house?"</p><p>Rachel softly smiled. "Yeah."</p><p><em> Fuck. </em> Sloane glanced away and chewed the side of her lip. She looked back up at the officer. "Then… thank you for letting me crash on the couch. It won't happen again." Sloane picked up her guitar and stepped away from the officer. </p><p>Rachel spoke right away, knowing that Sloane was going to leave, "I'm sorry." She turned to face Sloane, not wanting her to leave. "I said something wrong and hurtful to you and your crew and I was wrong. As I told Victoria, the Commander didn't inform us completely."</p><p>Sloane didn't really care for the apology. She hated that just when she seemed to start healing from the incident, some stranger brought her 'fuckup' to her attention. She stared back at the blonde, seeing the woman's emotions. Sloane then looked away, <em> dammit, </em> and slowly nodded. "Yeah." She didn't make eye contact. Instead, she looked out over the water, took a deep breath, nodded again, "Yeah, okay."</p><p>Rachel didn't know what else to say to her; she didn't want to make things worse than they already were. She turned a little bit. "So, yeah, I'ma… I'm gonna go." Sloane nodded again, taking a long drag of the joint as she looked down at her boots. With nothing else to talk about, Rachel tilted her head and added, "I'll see you guys tomorrow then? At sunrise."</p><p>Sloane let the smoke in her lungs go and nodded. "Sunrise."</p><p>"K," Rachel stepped back. "Night."</p><p>Sloane glanced only for a second at the woman looking at her. "Night, Lieutenant."</p><p>-------------------</p><p>Rachel undocked her boat and left for the night, taking one more look over her shoulder back at The Chase, seeing Sloane plucked at her guitar strings, continuing with her song and her evening.</p><p>Victoria stood on the upper deck and took a sip of her tea after watching the interaction. She turned and went back into the ship.</p><p>Sloane lifted her head and watched a boat, ♫"...You will survive being bested. Somebody fine will come along, make me forget about loving you..."♫</p><p>-------------------</p><p>Chloe sat next to Max, listening to her. The Auburn drew her thumb across the embossed initials of her satchel. "He loved everything about the sea. His home was nothing but small findings along the western coastline; he even did some small excavations on the B.C. coastline in Canada." Max smiled a little at her memory. "I remember him telling me bedtime stories of pirates and renegades that would travel all up along the coast, hiding from the English, Spanish, and other crooks. One of the last things we did together was to create a model of a ship." Max thought of the day that the model was taken away from her. "When my grandfather passed, everything he had was left to another family, the Prescotts, a local family that's been here in Arcadia for decades. They own many establishments around town; the pier, cannery, and the dry docks, to name a few." Max closed her satchel and placed it on the counter. "With the fishery plummeting, families are moving, and the Prescotts are buying up housing for next to nothing. They want to turn this place into a getaway for the wealthy." Max looked down at the sweater she wore that was a little too big for her. "I took my grandfather's wool sweater and his satchel that contained his last journal. It's all that I have left of him." She looked up and smiled a thin smile that wasn't happy, but held emotion.</p><p>Chloe thought of a younger Max and having something she loved taken from her. "Wow, what an asshole. What was the hard-on for your model? What was it?"</p><p>"It was a brig called the Barracuda." Chloe looked up from the map.</p><p>"You heard of it?" Max asked.</p><p>"Yeah. Yeah, I have. William Bancroft owned it. He traveled up and down the Pacific coastline during the gold rush, offering unsuspecting people and companies protection from the trail on land. He would get them on board, head out to sea, kill them, and take their gold and supplies." Chloe leaned sideways on the counter as she continued, pointing to her face, "He was known for having a long, dark beard, with small, blue bows that his daughter tied in it. His crewman nicknamed him Captain Bluebeard." </p><p>Max nodded. "Yeah, that's one of the stories my grandfather told me as well. He said Bluebeard was one of the last sailing pirates."</p><p>Chloe looked back at the map and tapped the initials on the map. "You may have something of value here."</p><p>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>A week into the Bayocean project, The Chases' crew were constantly busy, as well as the Doctors and their students. Everything was going smoothly at the start of the new workload; the dive crew had their first area excavated with the sea vacuum, and to the delight of the Doctors, some small artifacts were found, which helped to justify the work. </p><p>As another morning shift began, Rachel stood in front of Commander Madsen's desk.</p><p>"I read your report... very thorough," he said, looking at his laptop.</p><p>"Thank you, Sir," The Lieutenant replied.</p><p>"Seems The Chase crew are keeping their noses clean…" The Commander minimized Rachel's report on his screen and leaned back in his chair, looking up at her. "Or they are very good at hiding their doings from you." Rachel furrowed her brow, confused and annoyed. She didn't let the latter show. "Sir, as my report states, they have gone through the correct government channels to be a part of this project. It shows that the state of Oregon sought out The Chase for the surveying and excavation, not the other way around. For the past two weeks they have been doing just that. In fact, Mrs. Chase keeps a short leash on all the crew."</p><p>"No doubt that she's running it like a militia," the Commander replied. Rachel again didn't let her growing annoyance show. She wondered why he had it out for The Chase. With him twisting the report of The Chase's history to the rest of her co-workers, she couldn't understand why he was so… bitter? Towards them. The Commander picked up some paperwork on his desk to look busy. "Thank you Lietuantent, that will be all."</p><p>"Sir." Rachel turned and left the office.</p><p>Dana watched Rachel's expression as she left the office and walked back into her own. Madsen looked up from his work, watching the Lieutenant gather some items for her shift, then went downstairs towards the dock. A voice spoke, "Are you sure she's qualified for this job, Mr. Madsen?"</p><p>The Commander looked down at his phone on the desk, annoyed that his title was not used. The person on the other line had listened to their private conversation. "She's more qualified than anyone here," The Commander replied. "If they are doing more than what they were hired to do, she will find out."</p><p>"See that she does." The call ended abruptly, and the Commander picked up his phone then tossed it further away from on his desk, clenching his jaw.</p><p>-------------------</p><p>"Hey." Dana met with Rachel as the Lieutenant undocked a boat.</p><p>Rachel sighed.</p><p>"That bad?" Dana said with a warm smile.</p><p>"I swear to God that man is too fucking paranoid..." the Lieutenant immediately replied to her roommate. "Don't repeat that to anyone."</p><p>Dana chuckled, "Think it comes with the mustache." The two women chuckled as Rachel untied another rope from the dock and asked, "I've been here for nine months, I've never seen him like this. Is this normal for him?"</p><p>Dana raised her brow and sighed, "I've seen him get riled up when a few wealthy families let their older kids take the family boats to come up for the summer break. We would do the usual checks, and even then, he was firm, but not like what he did with The Chase."</p><p>"Yeah," Rachel said, agreeing with Dana that this was out of the ordinary.</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"I've done all the history checks with the vessel and the crew. There were a few arrests in other countries, nothing too serious. Even when they were up against gangs in international waters, their actions were justified, and they were never charged. They actually helped out a few towns and small villages, getting rid of local gangs that brought illegal drugs into the country by way of the sea." Rachel looked up the stairs she'd just walked down. "I don't know why he has it out for them. If I am supposed to be watching them, he should've been upfront with me to let me know what is going on. And why is it only me watching them?"</p><p>"Yeah, that is not normal, only you being on the ship. Is there anything of high value on this excavation?" Dana asked.</p><p>Rachel shook her head. "I checked with Dr's. Jefferson, Caulfield and Graham, and the university. There is nothing of value, as in a huge deposit of precious metals. Dr. Caulfield reported that they had found a diamond necklace so far but were unsure about its age. They don't know if it was the property of someone that lived in Bayocean at the time or a wealthy vacationer that lost something overboard. Still, it's nothing that would be considered huge. The Chase is used to dealing with multimillion-dollar findings." Rachel tossed the rope onto the deck of the boat and climbed down.</p><p>Dana hummed, "Maybe if there was something of high value, the Prescott's are pissed that they're not involved? You've seen what they were like when they wanted to build more docks for vacationers and Sean's ongoing project for the town." Dana lowered her voice. "With their money, they could..." She looked up at her Commander's office window then back down to Rachel, "Persuade someone to find something wrong... if they could force The Chase out and step in, excavate, then take a percentage and or the recognition along with whatever was found."</p><p>Rachel put on her PFD and looked up at Dana. "From what I have learned about that family, it's not that far-fetched. But," It was Rachel's turn to look up at the window and lower her voice, "I can't see that happening. He's too..."</p><p>Dana spoke for her, "He has a stick up his butt."</p><p>Rachel raised her brow, agreeing, "Yeah... Also, if Dr. Caulfield was lying, and there was something to be found," Rachel shook her head, "it wouldn't make sense for her to hide that information. It makes no difference if The Chase finds it or if it's the Prescotts. Everything would go back to the state of Oregon."</p><p>"If they report all their findings," Dana added. "Or maybe it just comes down to that the Prescotts don't like another family coming in and doing something in their-" Dana used air quotes, "town and want something done about it."</p><p>"Christ, people and their money." </p><p>"Yeah, I would love to have the amount that they have. Would be living on a beach, sipping on something with an umbrella as someone in a skimpy bathing suit fanned me to keep cool." Dana smiled widely with her head up in the air to feel the non-existent sun on her face.</p><p>Rachel chuckled as she stepped up to the helm, "What, Arcadia beaches not good enough for you? They have those umbrella drinks at the bar on Wednesdays and I'm sure Trevor would love to fan you, among other things." The two women chuckled as Rachel started the engine.</p><p>Dana gave Rachel a wave. "Have a good day. Be safe."</p><p>"You too, I'll see you later."</p><p> </p><p>-------------------</p><p>
  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Vx7MTU-UVE&amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;t=17"> SOFI TUKKER - Best Friend feat. NERVO </a>
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  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chhJukhxeHE&amp;feature=youtu.be"> Crosby, Stills &amp; Nash - Southern Cross </a>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Through the Ship’s Window</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Max stayed a little late onboard The Chase almost every evening, or Chloe would go to Blackwell and talk with the doctor about the map's riddle and maybe for another reason, she couldn't get enough of a particular freckled face. The pair thought they had discovered a lead in one of the lines, 'Peer through the ship's window...' thinking that it could be a gunport, a telescope or possibly one of the windows in the Captain's quarters on the Barracuda. Chloe had remarked, ‘<em> It doesn't make sense that a looking point would be on the boat itself, it's constantly moving.' </em> They pondered it for a few days until one afternoon, Max thought of something her grandfather had.</p><p>-------------------</p><p>Chloe cupped her hands against the dirty, salt-stained window to get a better look. "It's an 18th-century artifact."</p><p>"If that's it… I can't believe my grandfather hid it out in plain sight," Max said, standing next to Chloe on her tippy toes, peering in. "People may have been looking for this for over a century, and there it is, sitting underneath his coffee mug."</p><p>Chloe smiled as she fogged up the window with her breath. "Your grandfather was a genius if that's the ship's window we're looking for." She turned her head and looked down at Max, who took a picture of her grandfather's office with her phone. She was close enough that Chloe could smell the shampoo fragrance in her hair. She also noticed the woman's rosy cheeks and, of course, the spray of freckles that she wanted to caress her hand across. Chloe smirked, looking at Max's bright blue expressive eyes. <em> Christ, you are beautiful. </em> Max smiled back and commented, "Well, it is a pretty neat coffee coaster."</p><p>Max turned around and leaned against her grandfather's old cedar home, looking at the overgrown and unkempt backyard. Chloe leaned back. "Okay, it's right there,” she said and put her hands in her coat pockets. She continued, “and we can't get in…" She raised her brow, "Well, yeah, we can, but that would have authorities breathing down our backs."</p><p>Max added, "And the Prescott's laying charges for sure." She held up her phone and took a picture of the backyard, noticing the low, once white fence missing a few pickets. "I'm still confused that everything is still in there after all this time." She furrowed her brow, continuing, "I don't understand why the house wasn't sold or taken down. And I have no idea why my dad couldn't have kept the home, or take anything from it."</p><p>Chloe tilted her head, adding to the questions, "You mentioned that a lawyer was there along with the police the day you left; do you know anything that was in his will?"</p><p>Max stared into the backyard and lightly shook her head, thinking of the last day she had here in her tweens. "No, I've never pushed the subject with my parents. I remember Dad being so angry, but sad." She thought of her father's look that day and added, "Defeated." Max, took a breath of air and slowly sighed. Chloe kept quiet, listening to the woman's memory. "I loved hanging out here. We used to come down for the fourth of July and the last week of my summer vacation to spend it with him." She motioned with her chin towards a large tree that had a broken, weathered, tire swing. "It was fun to have a backyard to play in. I grew up in an apartment facility and coming here was fun." She smiled. "For my twelfth birthday, he told me that he buried my gift in the backyard." Max indicated an area in the overgrown yard. "He sectioned off where the tire swing was and made a square grid section of the ground. He gave me an old paintbrush and garden trowel, and for the full weekend, I excavated my gift." Max chuckled. "He even put up a tent for me to sleep outside next to the dig site."</p><p>Chloe looked down at Max. "That is so cool. Man, that must have been so much fun."</p><p>Max raised her brow and stared at the tree with the memory clear in her head. "It was, there was no doubt after that weekend I knew what I wanted to be."</p><p>"What did you dig up?"</p><p>Max smiled and looked up at Chloe. "A whale vertebrae."</p><p>Chloe raised her eyebrows. "Oh, wow. How big?"</p><p>"It was part of a lower tail section of a blue whale." Max pushed her lips off to the side, thinking.</p><p><em> Oh damn, that is cute</em>, Chloe thought.</p><p>"Mmm, about a foot n' a half."</p><p>"Damn, I think I got an ice cream cake for my twelfth."</p><p>Max chuckled, then thought of something else. Her smile faded and she looked down then back at the yard. "I remember Mom mentioning that Grandpa had something planned for my thirteenth, but he passed away."</p><p>"I'm sorry," Chloe said. "He sounded like a really fun grandfather."</p><p>Max smiled. "Yeah, he was. He had so many stories about his travels." Max tapped Chloe's forearm and they walked back around to the front of the old home. The archaeologist walked out into the middle of the street, took a picture of the house then walked with Chloe down the road towards the docks, passing a parked truck.</p><p>A man was leaning down across his truck seats with the window open, listening to the two women talk as they walked by. Max reminisced once more, "I miss him. He was a nice person, never dumbed anything down just because I was young, and loved teaching me things. I really wish I could buy the house and have it back in the family instead of just looking at pictures..."</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>TEXTuя</strong>
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  <strong>Eliot 🠆 Nathan</strong>
</p><p><strong>Eliot:</strong> <em>image01.jpg</em><br/><strong>Eliot:</strong> Two of them walked around the house, taking pictures.</p><p><strong>Nathan:</strong> Did they break in and take anything?</p><p><strong>Eliot:</strong> No, they weren't there long enough. It sounded like she<br/>         just wanted to take pictures of the family home to<br/>         reminisce.</p><p><strong>Nathan:</strong> Where are they heading now?</p><p><strong>Eliot:</strong> Back towards the docks.</p><p>---------------------------------------------------</p><p>Once again, the archaeologist and diver were in The Chases' lab looking over the map. Chloe's shift wasn't to start until later that afternoon and Max had come on board to look at some recent findings. She had found herself, however, sneaking glances more at the tall woman. The archaeologist had noticed the divers' arm and her tattoo when she had taken off her jacket. Chloe showed her full sleeve that consisted of a coral bottom with crustaceans and seaweed strands going up the length of her arm with small tropical fish, turtles, and seahorses all peeking out or swimming around.</p><p>Sloane had walked by the lab and did a quick look in and kept going. Her feet abruptly stopped and her body leaned back to the doorway, seeing two ladies huddled over the table. A curious eyebrow slowly rose. Sloane walked up from behind and peeked over Max's shoulder then whispered, "What are we looking at?" Max screamed from fright, which scared Sloane and Brooke, who was quietly working at another table. Chloe, on the other hand, reacted by taking hold of Max and hauling the woman towards her.</p><p>The doctor sat on the stool with a bottle of water taking long, deep breaths, calming herself from Sloane unintentionally scaring her. The second diver was clarifying her understanding as she wiggled her finger in her ear from the high tone output from Max, then scratched the back of her ear. "Sooo, let me get this straight..." Sloane pointed at Max, "you," she then made a small pop sound with her mouth, "have a 19th-century map that your grandpappy had, and you don't know where it came from." Max nodded. "And because of the initials on the map, ‘W.B,’ along with your grandpappy's hobby through the years, including you and your grandpappy building a Baraccuda model ship from scratch, it could be the infamous-" Sloane looked at Chloe, "Blue-fuckin'-Beard’s." She looked back at Max again. "The dude that sailed circles around the California coast for years, stealin' and sinkin' ships left, right and center. Hundreds of people through the years have been looking for some indication of where his treasure is." Sloane looked at the map on the counter. "Scholars made predictions of where the treasure could be and you have the information that museums and archaeologists, like yourself," she glanced at Max, "would love to have, including some gangs and even certain countries that would kill for that info." Sloane pointed at Max's satchel. "And you had it tucked away in your journal for…" Sloane's eyes looked up as she did the math, "almost thirteen years?" Max nodded again. Sloane continued, "Aaand, you also think a piece to the riddle is in your grandpappy's untouched home that is no longer in your family… sitting on his desk, and he used it as a coffee coaster…?" Sloane looked at Brooke, who had joined them, then at Chloe and Max.</p><p>Max nodded her head, agreeing with everything Sloane said. Sloane happily nodded along with Max, then she furrowed her brow and dropped her smile. Max's eyes widened then glanced over at Chloe, worried. Chloe crossed her arms over her chest and stared back at Sloane.</p><p>"Goddammit, Chloe!" Sloane said, annoyed, looking at her dive partner.</p><p><em> 'Oh no</em>,' Max thought.</p><p>"Dude." There was a pause. "Seriously?!" Sloane tilted her head at Chloe, pissed, and used her hand to gesture her anger. "You're galavanting around town, trespassing, peering into homes, finding things that people would kill for and putting not only yourself but someone else's life in danger, while I was fuckin' mopping the goddamn galley... what the fuck?!"</p><p>"I'm sorry."</p><p>Sloane snapped back with her brow furrowed, "Not good enough."</p><p>Chloe added an adverb, "I'm <em> very </em> sorry?" Sloane's resentment grew. Max's eyes darted back and forth between the two. <em> Uh-oh</em>. Chloe let her arms drop from her chest. "I'm sorry, I'll bring you along next time."</p><p>Sloane crossed her arms up to her chest. "You're damn right, you will."</p><p>Max tilted her head, confused. <em> Huh? </em>She noticed Sloane looked a little hurt from being left out. The woman even mumbled, "Leavin' me out of the fun…"</p><p>Chloe slumped forward and rolled her eyes. "Dude, I said sorry, it won't happen again."</p><p>Sloane mumbled again, "Hurtin' my feelings."</p><p>Chloe sighed, "Don't be like that."</p><p>Sloane pouted and Brooke let out a giggle. "Chloe, stop hurting Sloane's feelings, you know she likes to play too."</p><p>Chloe threw up her hands and looked away. "Auuugh, don't look at me like that."</p><p>Sloane continued with her little pouty lip, "You find a map, and you don't tell me about it."</p><p>Chloe sat on a stool and put her arm around Max's neck with an impish smile. Max sat up a little straighter and her inner thoughts all but yelled, '<em> She put her arm around me... she smells so good, oh, dog that smile... she's so warm, oh I want to-' </em> The other half of Max's brain interrupted, ' <em> Jesus Max, thirsty much? Simmer down just a notch…' </em> Max glanced at Chloe, <em> 'For now, because… oooh that body. Oh, my dog.' </em></p><p>Chloe looked at the three women in the room. "So, ladies, we need a plan to break in and steal the portho-"</p><p>"Excuse me?" someone from behind them spoke.</p><p>Chloe sat up and quickly took her arm off of Max. Sloane looked up, wide-eyed. Brooke turned around and put her eyes onto the nearest microscope that had nothing in it and Max turned to see Victoria and Steph standing just inside the lab. Victoria had a glare about her as she spoke, "What the fuck are you up to?"</p><p>Sloane instantly pointed her finger. "Chloe did it."</p><p>-------------------</p><p>It was midway through Rachel’s shift as she turned and walked down another corridor. Victoria had mentioned to the crew the week before that the Lieutenant would have full access to the vessel and was free to inquire what they were doing at any time. As she walked by the lab, she noticed a group gathered around a lab table, focusing on what was on it. Interested, she knocked on the door. "Afternoon."</p><p>The group in the lab room either looked up or turned to look at the officer. Steph and Victoria acted as a wall, standing side by side. Chloe slid the map on the counter towards Sloane, who folded it covertly and deftly with one hand. The Lieutenant asked as she stepped through the doorway, "Did you find anything interesting? You all have this enthralled look about you."</p><p>Sloane slid the map into Max's satchel as the doctor watched the coordination of the crew without speaking a word to one another. <em> They've done this before. </em> She was intrigued again as Brooke turned and quietly slid an excavation picture and a sand analysis print out onto the table. <em> They've definitely done this before. </em></p><p>"Afternoon, Lieutenant," Victoria replied and sipped her tea.</p><p>Max sat upright, stiff as a board, hoping that the Lieutenant wouldn't ask her any questions. <em> Oh, dog, I suck at lying, act cool, act cool. </em> Like a student hiding from a teacher, Max leaned forward on her stool and slowly moved behind the Steph-Victoria wall, hoping she was not called upon.</p><p>Chloe adjusted herself in her stool, relaxed as she spoke, "Nothing too exciting, unless you think-" She looked down at Brooke's printout, "-sand analysis is intriguing. We found a small amount of iron deposit in one of the gridded areas."</p><p>Steph looked over her shoulder to see Chloe holding up the printout. The map was missing and replaced by an underwater picture.</p><p>"Ah," Rachel replied. There was a silent pause and no more information came forth. Once again, Rachel felt out of place. "I'll leave you to your analysis then." She nodded to Victoria, turned to leave, and saw her reflection and the reflection of the others in the room from a polished metal towel dispenser by the door. She closed the door behind her and walked down the hall, narrowing her eyes. There were three things she’d noticed: One, whatever was on the table when she walked in had been replaced. Two, nobody gets that engrossed over iron deposits in the sand, it's a given that they would find old structures from Bayocean. And three, Rachel clenched her jaw, Madsen might have been right, something was going on. Her brain also gave her another thought, <em> Sloane was checking out my butt</em>.</p><p><em> Oh, man, that butt, I would smack th- </em> Sloane caught herself as she leaned too far back on her stool and almost fell off from the distraction. Max grabbed for her, but the distracted girl caught the table's corner as Victoria and Steph turned around.</p><p>Victoria sternly looked at the women before her and quietly spoke, "This stays absolutely quiet. Doctor, what you have there is, yes, an amazing find, but the rest of us know full well that it's dangerous. I cannot order you as to what you should do with what you have, but please take my advice and put it in a safe place. Don't keep it on you. I don't know if you've told anyone that you have this in your possession... if you have and word gets out, their life may be in danger, which yours may also be in. People will do the worst to others for a map like this."</p><p>Steph added, "The Lieutenant, by law, has the right to search anyone and anything onboard at any time."</p><p>“And just because she's an officer doesn’t mean the Coasties are trustworthy.”</p><p>Max, frightened, looked over at Chloe, wide-eyed. She didn't want anyone to be in danger. She didn't mean to put them… <em> Oh, dog</em>. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."</p><p>Chloe spoke up, "It's okay." She looked at the others in the room. "We're kinda used to situations like this."</p><p>"Oh dog, I-"</p><p>"It's okay," Chloe repeated, comforting her.</p><p>Steph asked, "How many other people know about that?"</p><p>Max shook her head. "No one else, I- I've been using it as a placeholder, as I said, in my journals for years." Max paused, the blood drained from her face. "The night at the lighthouse."</p><p>Max had everyone's attention. She had told them that she slipped and fell. What Max hadn't told them was that she thought it was a sexual assault, feeling embarrassed at how much trouble she caused when she fell off the cliff. Whoever attacked her had put the woman over the bench and lifted her raincoat. But now, she remembered someone hauling and trying to take her satchel before she slipped. "S-someone attacked me... I didn't just slip and fall." Chloe sat up, concerned. Everyone in the room gave Max their full attention. "I-I thought... I was… because..." Max was reliving the moment. "I was pushed over a bench by someone and my raincoat was pushed to the side of me…” Max’s voice became quiet. “I thought that I was going to-" She paused at the thought of what could have happened. Chloe put a protective arm around Max’s lower back, listening. Max continued, "The person grabbed for my satchel, they could've been trying to take it?" Max looked over at Chloe for an answer.</p><p>Victoria put down her tea. "If your grandfather was searching for it before he passed, someone may think you now have new information or the map itself. Seeing you show up, a relative and an archaeologist who just happens to be starting an excavation."</p><p>Max tensed up. "How? No one else knows about this except the people in this room." She looked at Chloe. "I swear."</p><p>Victoria picked up her mug. "The speculation is already there for someone."</p><p>"I-I, should I put this in a safety deposit box?"</p><p>Victoria answered, "That's a good place. Any time you want to look at it, you'd be in a secure room."</p><p>"Okay." Max's eyes went back and forth as she thought about it and nodded. "Okay, I'll do that now."</p><p>Chloe offered, "I'll go with you?"</p><p>Victoria thought for a second but Sloane was the one to speak first, their minds were already processing scenarios, "Max, is going to the bank a regular thing for you to do?"</p><p>"Uhmm, no, not really. I haven't been in one for, well… I don't know. Everything I do is online."</p><p>Victoria spoke, "Get a bag or a box with the university name on it. Make it look like you are carrying something for the university." Chloe opened her mouth to speak but was cut off as Victoria continued, "If someone was trying to steal the map that night, they already suspect Max has possession of it and they couldn't get it before she fell. With the university here and The Chase Foundation hired, someone has concluded that we may know something about the map. Everything we've done since The Chase arrived could've been tracked."</p><p>"Well, it has, by the Coasties," Chloe said.</p><p>Steph added, "It wouldn’t be the first time that government workers were abusing their authority."</p><p>Victoria hummed, thinking, "I can only speculate that someone else is interested in this map." The Boss Lady laid out what she wanted, "Steph, do some research to find out how many people and companies through the years have been inquiring about Arcadia, William Bancroft, Captain Bluebeard, the Barracuda, and his lost map. Search through-"</p><p>Steph picked up what Victoria was thinking and finished the thought, "Town permits for the bay, concerning excavations."</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>Steph nodded.</p><p>Victoria looked at Chloe. "Price, I can't let you tag along with Max."</p><p>"What? I'm not leaving her alone," Chloe retorted.</p><p>"If someone knows about this map and if they see you with… I can't put you or any of the crew of The Chase in danger. The more people…"</p><p>"Boss," Sloane said, agreeing with Chloe.</p><p>Chloe furrowed her brow. "I don't care, I can-"</p><p>Victoria raised her voice, "I will not have another Panama incident on my hands."</p><p>Max had no idea what the 'Panama incident' was, but she would find out later that one of the crew was kidnapped and held for ransom. He was left with a missing finger and many broken bones, all for information on a sunken ship's location. Max glanced at Chloe, whose jaw was clenched; the diver didn't like Victoria's order.</p><p>Victoria lowered her voice, "Doctor, if you want to put that map in the secure place now, we can help you to a point." Chloe once again opened her mouth to say something and Victoria continued talking, staring at her friend, "You won't directly go to the bank with her." Victoria held out her hand to Brooke. "Your tablet?" Brooke handed the tablet over as Victoria kept talking, "If something happens, you will inform the police and let them handle the situation." Again, Chloe couldn't get a word in. "But," Victoria brought up Google Maps, "there, across the street, is a bakery and coffee shop." Victoria looked at her watch. "Sloane, you will take an early lunch at this coffee shop. It's a nice day, sit outside."</p><p>Victoria looked at Max. "Are you parked at the docks?"</p><p>Max shook her head. "No, I walked here from the Blackwell dorms."</p><p>"Price, tail Max to the bank, then proceed to this... Two Whales diner. Max will drop the map in the safety deposit box. Sloane, I want you across the street with your eyes on her. Max, once you're done at the bank, walk to the diner just up the road and meet up with Chloe. Sloane will follow behind as a precaution."</p><p>Max nodded. "O-okay."</p><p>The two divers glanced at each other, not liking the order, but replied, "Aye."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. One Job</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sloane grabbed her jacket and made for one of the Zodiacs™. As she walked to the aft she heard someone behind her, "Hey, you playing hooky?" Sloane turned around to see the smile of the Lieutenant. Sloane smiled back. "What, me? Get out of work?" she scoffed, "I would never." Sloane undocked the boat. "I've been a good little worker bee and I've been rewarded time off the boat, so goin' for a coffee and spending some time on land."</p>
<p>Rachel stepped forward. "Mind if I join you?" Rachel had seen the diving schedule for the day and Sloane was on it. She wondered why the diver had been taken off the agenda at the last minute.</p>
<p><em> Shit. </em>Sloane looked up. "Sure your Commander won't chew you out for leaving your post? Send his attack mustache after you? Heard it's like a bloodhound."</p>
<p>Rachel chuckled, "I've sent in my regular reports to him since day one. My last three said that it's a waste of time being here. I'm just getting in the way and making people uncomfortable. You're here to help out the university, nothing more. Plus, it's almost lunch." </p>
<p>Sloane smirked, "You're not in the way, nor are you making people uncomfortable, LT."</p>
<p>Rachel gave Sloane a nod. "Thanks, but there's no reason for me to be here anymore. I think the Commander is just bored; this year's rescues have been down and I think he’s just grabbing at something to do."</p>
<p>"Ah, bored Commander means others are kept busy polishing, cleaning, reports, and doing drills."</p>
<p>Rachel chuckled again. "Yeah… so, would you like some company?"</p>
<p>Sloane put her sunglasses on and looked back from the boat up at the Lieutenant and over her shoulder. Victoria stood just outside the bridge; there was no way for Sloane to get out of saying no. Well, yes, she could. She could simply say ‘no thanks,’ but… <em> Fuck it, it's lunch and me watching someone walk into a bank, in broad daylight, in small-town U.S. of A.. </em> . <em> and I get to do it while looking at her… talking with her… looking at her talking with that uniform on... smiling. </em></p>
<p>The Lieutenant tilted her head to the side, "I-" Sloane had not answered. "Sorry, I-"</p>
<p>"Sure, hop in," Sloane replied with a smirk.</p>
<p>Victoria watched the second passenger step onto the boat. <em> Goddammit, Sloane</em>.</p>
<p>-------------------</p>
<p>"So," Rachel said, leaning back in her chair at an outside table, drinking her tea.</p>
<p>"So," Sloane replied.</p>
<p>"I know from our reports of how you all met in the service and how you started working for The Chase Foundation, which is amazing."</p>
<p>Sloane smirked, thinking. <em> Readin’ up on me. </em></p>
<p>Rachel asked, "Tell me, what is the weirdest scenario you've found yourself in so far?"</p>
<p>Sloane smiled widely. "Aaah, cutting to what matters most. What had me half-naked running around a Thailand apartment complex with a phuying throwing their shoes at me."</p>
<p>Rachel's mouth opened and, for a second, she was silent, then burst out laughing. "Oh my God!"</p>
<p>Sloane laughed and shrugged. "Victoria, the beyotch, was driving the scooter as the getaway. She enjoyed getting me to run for half a block, half-naked, before she slowed down enough for me to get on."</p>
<p>"Wow, she doesn't seem like the type to… have fun. How did you get in that situation?"</p>
<p>"Hee Hee, don't let the Chase name fool you, she can party hard and get into 'situations' that have made for some great stories," Sloane giggled. "Ask her how she lost her eyebrows in the Bahamas."</p>
<p>Rachel's eyes widened as she giggled and Sloane continued, "But that night I met someone at the local karaoke bar, was going to spend the night with them. Their partner, who I didn’t know about, came home, yada yada, running through the streets half-naked." Rachel started giggling again as Sloane raised her eyebrows. "That's not the embarrassing part." Rachel stopped laughing, hanging onto Sloane's story. "That would be seeing the client we were to meet the next day with his coworkers outside a local restaurant, having a late dinner, watching our getaway." Rachel burst out laughing. "The morning meeting was… interesting." Sloane smiled widely. "Though, I did get a compliment on my butt tattoo."</p>
<p>Rachel had to put down her tea because she was laughing so much. "What's your tattoo?"</p>
<p>Sloane smiled at the woman across from her. "Most say they need to be wined and dined, but me, yeah, for coffee and a sandwich, I can drop my pants for yah."</p>
<p>Rachel put her hands up, smiling and chuckling. "No, no, no."</p>
<p>Sloane leaned back with her hand on her belt, ready to take it off. "Yah sure?"</p>
<p>Rachel replied, "I don't think the father and child behind you would enjoy that."</p>
<p>Sloane smiled and thought <em> yah didn't say you wouldn't</em>. Sloane shrugged. "Oh well, it will remain a mystery." Rachel picked up her tea and took another sip. She quietly giggled as Sloane asked, "What about you? What's the most embarrassing thing you’ve gotten yourself into?"</p>
<p>Sloane's smile never wavered while she watched through her sunglasses as Max, with Chloe trailing her, arrived at the bank. Sloane nodded, listening to the embarrassing story as Rachel told it. Max entered the bank and Sloane's eyes went to the street around her, looking for any recently parked cars. <em> Tan Chev GT7LLN. Black town car… </em> she picked up her phone, twirled it around and played with it as she listened to the Lieutenant. She held it under the table and leaned forward. Sloane chuckled with interest as Rachel finished her embarrassing story of how she and some other sorority girls took a dip in a members-only golf club. She then found herself running from security. "-I hid in the bushes until my ride came, I can't believe I didn't grab my pants," Rachel finished saying as she chuckled.</p>
<p>"Ahh, the ole Winnie the Pooh dress code," Sloane chuckled, thinking of the woman with only a shirt on, hiding in bushes. Rachel laughed again and Sloane smiled as she took a burst shot of the car parked behind her. "Lucky you didn't get poison ivy on that Cali butt."</p>
<p>Though their first meeting was a failure, after Rachel apologized, Sloane found herself getting comfortable around the woman each time they spoke. Rachel was a more down-to-earth person who loved life, Sloane had found out that she had lived in California all of her life and that getting posted in Arcadia had been a letdown. The Lieutenant mentioned that she'd already requested a transfer to get back to California. It was where she wanted to be. Unfortunately, she just had to wait out her time until her request was taken in, which could be years. Sloane felt her phone vibrate. She glanced at the message that Max would be walking out soon, then asked, "So, what other hidden treasures are around here?"</p>
<p>"If you have the time and like camping, Mount Hood is a really nice area."</p>
<p>Sloane, behind her sunglasses, watched Max exit the bank. She noticed the black town car pull out of its parking spot, slowly drove by her and Rachel, then turned towards the banks lot and disappeared from view when a logging truck stopped at an intersection light in front of the coffee shop. <em> Dammit</em>.</p>
<p>Rachel was still making recommendations, "If you didn't want to travel that far for camping, there's a smaller park northeast of here, Overlook P-" Sloane quickly sat up and Rachel stopped in mid-conversation, seeing the look on Sloane's face. The brunette jumped out of her chair, knocked it over. <em> Shit shit shit! </em> Sloane ran across the street, watching Max get into the car. <em> Fuck no! </em> Of a town of under a thousand people, just at that moment, three vehicles just had to be in the way. Sloane forced them to slam on their brakes as she ran, watching the town car drive away with Max inside. "Fuck!"</p>
<p>Sloane was already on the phone as she ran back across the street. Rachel ran to meet her in the middle of the road. "They're coming up your way," Sloane said over the phone, then looked at Rachel. "I need your car." </p>
<p>"What's going on?!" The Lieutenant asked.</p>
<p>Sloane spoke into her phone, "Black town car." Sloane held out her hand palm up. "Lieutenant, your car!" Rachel slapped the woman her keys as she followed Sloane, running towards the Jeep™. Rachel got in and closed the passenger door.</p>
<p>"You need to get out," Sloane demanded, starting the vehicle.</p>
<p>Rachel retorted, "Like hell I am, what's going on?"</p>
<p>Sloane pulled the vehicle into traffic and headed for Two Whales; there wasn't time to argue.</p>
<p>"Get in the back," Sloane said.</p>
<p>"What? Why?"</p>
<p>"Get in the back, Rachel!"</p>
<p>Rachel saw Chloe by the side of the road, jogging toward the vehicle with a pissed-off look. Rachel crawled into the back seat as the passenger door opened.</p>
<p>"What the fuck happened?!" Chloe demanded.</p>
<p>"She left the bank, there was a logging truck that stopped and blocked my view. When it moved, there was a town car, and she got in." Sloane handed Chloe her phone. "I took pictures of the car."</p>
<p>"What's going on?" Rachel asked again as she leaned forward between the two seats. Her question went unanswered once more.</p>
<p>Chloe had her phone up to her ear. "Hey, I need you to run plates. Lima-India-Sierra-Two-One-Nine black town car. Max went into it... I don't know… We're following it now. Yeah, yeah." She ended the call.</p>
<p>Chloe looked at Sloane. "You were supposed to follow orders and keep an eye on her!"</p>
<p>"I was."</p>
<p>"Then why the fuck is she with you?!" Chloe pointed to the back seat passenger. “And Max is in that car!”</p>
<p>"Message her," Sloane said, ignoring the outburst.</p>
<p>Chloe's thumbs were a blur as she texted. She watched the screen. "Answer, Max… please answer." Chloe felt her heart sink.<em> I should've protected her, I should've done it my way. </em></p>
<p>They followed the town car from far back as it traveled outside of Arcadia Bay. Chloe had her phone open, looking at Google maps. "There's not much up here till the next town."</p>
<p>"There," Sloane said, seeing the town car slow down and turn to the right onto a paved private road. "Get down," Sloane said. Chloe slumped down. Sloane looked back at the bewildered officer. The brunette put her hand back and took Rachel's Coast Guard baseball cap. "Get down and stay down." Sloane put it on and pulled the cap's brim down. She slowed the Jeep to just under the speed limit. Chloe lifted up her phone to the window as she slumped in her seat, watching what she was recording. The Jeep drove by as the car had stopped at a security gate. </p>
<p>"K," Sloane said a few moments later, looking in the back mirror at the road behind her as Rachel came into view with her brows furrowed.</p>
<p>"What the fuck is going on?" The Lieutenant asked.</p>
<p>"Turn around," Chloe said, looking in her side mirror.</p>
<p>Sloane slowed the Jeep down, did a U-turn and parked on the side of the road.</p>
<p>"Fuck," Sloane murmured.</p>
<p>Chloe's phone vibrated and she answered it. "Yeah… yeah… okay, we're right outside his home a few yards away. Yes…" Chloe's voice became agitated, "Yes, Victoria, I understand!" She ended the call. There was silence in the car and just before Rachel was going to ask again, Chloe shouted and hit the dashboard, "Fuck!" Chloe turned to Sloane, livid. She opened her mouth to speak, then glared at Rachel, then back to Sloane, who was looking straight ahead. Chloe's voice was low as she controlled her emotions, "You had one fucking job… one fucking job. Sit your ass down and watch her. And yet you still fucked it up. I swear to Christ if-" Chloe's phone rang, it was Max. She picked up the phone. "M-" She froze in her seat then looked at Sloane. Chloe put her finger up to her mouth, getting everyone to stay silent. She turned on the phone’s speaker.</p>
<p>A male voice spoke, "Ah, Miss… oh, excuse me, Doctor... Caulfield, is it now?"</p>
<p>-------------------</p>
<p>Moments ago...</p>
<p>
  <strong>TEXTuя</strong>
  <br/>
  <strong>🦕Max 🠆 🐟Chloe</strong>
</p>
<p><br/><strong>Max:</strong> I'm probably walking like I have a stick up<br/>        my butt.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chloe glanced up at the woman that was a dozen yards in front of her. She smirked, looking at a butt.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Chloe:</strong> Relax, 007, you're just opening a safety<br/>           deposit box.</p>
<p><strong>Max:</strong> I'm trembling. They're gonna know<br/>        something is wrong with me.</p>
<p><strong>Chloe:</strong> Take a deep breath, there's nothing out<br/>           of the ordinary about what you are doing.<br/>           Sloane's right across the street, and I'm<br/>           just going to be down the road.<br/>.<br/>..<br/>...<br/>….</p>
<p><strong>Max:</strong> It's done, oh, fuck me.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chloe smiled and took a sip of her coffee as she sat in a diner.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Chloe:</strong> Is that an offer?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Max was already into her next text, not seeing what Chloe had texted.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Max:</strong> Oh my dog. I'm freakin' out over here.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Max eyes widened, seeing the text. What?! Wait…</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Chloe:</strong> Kidding</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chloe wasn't. Max sighed at her wishful thinking. Too good to be true.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Max:</strong> You may be used to this kinda lifestyle,<br/>         with people coming after you, but I've<br/>         spent my life in books reading about this<br/>         kinda stuff.</p>
<p><strong>Chloe:</strong> Alright, Nancy Drew, come to me,<br/>           everything is fine.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Max texted back then quickly deleted the added smiling face emoji. <em> Don’t do that</em>. She then added it back in then deleted it again and then panicked that she didn’t answer quickly enough and added the emoji back in. Max groaned and pushed the main bank doors open. <em> Oh my dog</em>. </p>
<p><b>Max:</b> Omw <b>:)</b></p>
<p>Max pocketed her phone and walked towards the diner. "Excuse me, Dr. Caulfield?" The large man in a black suit stood outside of a black town car.</p>
<p>Max was taken out of her thoughts and stopped walking. "Yes?" The man dwarfed her small frame, staring down at her. He stepped forward and opened the back passenger door. "My employer, Mr. Prescott, would like a word with you."</p>
<p>Max looked at the man, confused. "Why?"</p>
<p>"Ma'am, please get in the car."</p>
<p>Hearing those words scared her. "Why? Why can't he make an appointment with Mr. Jefferson at Blackwell?"</p>
<p>"This is not about your current project."</p>
<p>Max felt a surge of adrenaline run through her. <em> Does he know about the map? How could he? </em> Max, anxious, held her satchel. <em> He knows, he knows. </em> Her eyes darted around. Even in broad daylight out in the open on a side street, she felt frightened. Could she run away, could she scream before the man grabbed her? <em> Was he the one that attacked me? Chloe… I wished she'd stayed with me… Where's Sloane, she said that she would be watching me. Did something happen to her? </em></p>
<p>"Ma'am."</p>
<p>With a trembling voice, Max found some courage, "I'm sorry, b-but if Mr. Prescott wants to talk with me he can make an ap-pointment."</p>
<p>"Dr. Caulfiled, he prefers for this conversation not to be in public."</p>
<p><em> So he can, what, kill me? </em> Max took a small step back. <em> I can run across the street where Sloane should be</em>. She saw the logging truck block her view of the bakery coffee shop. "I-I'm s-sorry b-but if Mr.-"</p>
<p>"He said it concerned your grandfather's home. He's selling it."</p>
<p>Max paused… confused. "M-my… selling it?"</p>
<p>"Yes, Ma'am."</p>
<p>Max furrowed her brow, baffled. "Why does he… I don't even.."</p>
<p>"Ma'am, I was asked to bring you to Prescott estate. Mr. Prescott would like to talk to you about the Caulfield home. I don't know the full specifics but he would like a private word with you about it."</p>
<p>"Oh… I..."</p>
<p>The man held out his hand to indicate Max to take a seat in the car.</p>
<p>"Does it have to be now?"</p>
<p>"Ma'am, he did express that there was a cut-off time before the house is put on the market. He has a meeting with the realtor this afternoon." Max nodded and got into the car as the door shut behind her. </p>
<p>Max picked up her phone to call Chloe and noticed that her phone was not getting a signal. She looked up and saw that her and the driver were divided by a dark glass barrier. Max didn't hear the car horns from behind her or see Sloane. The archaeologist tried to open the window but the button didn't work. She tried another button to open the dividing glass, it also did nothing. She turned in the direction of the diner, seeing Chloe in one of the windows. <em> Ooh, pickles. </em> </p>
<p>-------------------</p>
<p>Max was led into the Prescott mansion, a home that dwarfed others in Arcadia Bay. It was about the size of the Blackwell dormitory building. An assistant welcomed her immediately as the car was parked. The young assistant took Max's coat and satchel and Max was guided into an office. "I will notify Mr. Prescott of your arrival, please wait here." The assistant left, closed the door behind her then walked to a nearby side table and started to search Max's satchel.</p>
<p>Max looked around the room at the artwork and sculptures. In her head, she was categorizing them. A 19th-century portrait of Jeremiah Blackwell was hung on the wall next to a narwhal tusk. An early black and white picture of Arcadia Bay’s founders, old Blueprints of a whaling station, another of a cannery. There, in the corner, stood an old diving suit that looked like something Jules Verne wrote about. On display were artifacts and other pieces under protective glass. One in particular Max knew all too well. It was like stepping back in time. She heard her grandfather's voice talking to her over her shoulder as they looked at the finished model of an old ship. <em> "There, Maxine, if you haul the rope, it will raise the sails." </em></p>
<p>She was taken out of her memory with the sound of a muffled conversation in another room. With the door slightly ajar, she took a few steps forward and heard a male voice, "Does anyone know that she's here?"</p>
<p>Max's heart stopped. <em> Why would they say that? </em> She heard footsteps coming her way and immediately phoned Chloe and placed the phone in her pocket.</p>
<p>"Ah, Miss… oh, excuse me, Doctor Caulfield, is it now?" the older man greeted her. Sean Prescott walked toward Max with his hand extended to welcome her.</p>
<p>"It is," she replied and shook his hand.</p>
<p>"I don't know if you remember me." He knew she would.</p>
<p>"Nice to see you again, Mr. Prescott."</p>
<p>"Please, Sean. It's been a long time since I saw you last."</p>
<p>"Yes, a day after my grandfather's funeral." Max glanced at the model ship that had been taken away from her that day. Sean noticed and looked at the model, then at Max. "The Barracuda pirate ship, you know of it?"<em> Interesting. </em></p>
<p>"I know of this model, my grandfather and I built it together. It was a birthday gift he gave me."</p>
<p>"Ah." Sean walked away, not caring about her statement. He walked to a corner table and poured a drink. "Would you like a drink, Doctor?"</p>
<p>"No, thank you. I'm working."</p>
<p>"Ah, right. How is the project going these days? Must be a dream to do this in your grandfather's home town." Sean took a sip of his alcohol.</p>
<p>Max nodded. "It's going well, and having it in a familiar place is very nice as well."</p>
<p>"Hmm, indeed. When I heard about the project I have to admit I was excited. Have you made any big discoveries?"</p>
<p>Max relaxed a bit, hearing Sean talk about the project. "We're just at the very beginning of the excavation. We've had sand analysis showing some iron deposits, probably from the natatorium that was in the area."</p>
<p>"Interesting. My foundation did some small work years ago by the piers. I got the go-ahead to deepen the bay floor to allow larger ships to dock. I have a life project that I’ve started with the town to turn Arcadia into a tourist destination." Sean walked up to an Arcadia Bay miniature diorama he had in the room. "Build vacation homes, bring new life into the bay. With the fishery being as it is, families are leaving to find work somewhere else. It's sad to see families being forced out of their homes."</p>
<p><em> Like how you forced us out of my grandfather’s? </em> Max said to herself. Seeing that Max didn't have anything to say about his idea, Sean turned to different matters. He placed his drink down on the table. "What do you know of your grandfather, Micheal?"</p>
<p>Max raised her eyebrows. "As much as a child would at the time. He was a loving and caring man, loved the sea, was in the Navy, moved to Arcadia just after he married." Max shrugged. "When he was discharged he was a deckhand for a fisherman till he couldn't work anymore from an injury."</p>
<p>Sean nodded. "Did you know he and my father met in the services? They served together and both moved to Arcadia with their families."</p>
<p>Max shook her head. "No, I didn't." Whenever the name of a Prescott was mentioned in her grandfather's presence, the man would scowl and mutter to himself.</p>
<p>"In their spare time, he and Jacob, my father, would do some deep-sea diving." Sean had walked over to a portrait of his father on the wall. He allowed himself to chuckle. "The man was part fish, I swear."</p>
<p>Max smiled, "My grandfather loved being out on the water. He told me there's some freedom to it. A sense of the unknown of what is out there and underneath."</p>
<p>"With what we know of the earth's surface, we know very little of what lies beneath the waters." Sean turned and looked at Max. "Did he ever tell you that his last job was the keeper of the lighthouse?"</p>
<p>Max, surprised, replied, "No, no, I never knew."</p>
<p>"Because of the physical work he did and an injury, he was forced to stop fishing and ended his time at the lighthouse." Sean smiled. "Ah, but I digress, that’s not why I brought you here. As I said, I'm in the process of bringing forth a new era for Arcadia." He paused for a moment, thinking. "I didn't want to bring this up in public, this is why I brought you here in private. Small towns and gossip are always a big thing." Max nodded, understanding. Sean continued, "Dr. Caulfield, Maxine, do you know why you were forced to leave your grandfather's home that day?"</p>
<p>"No.” Max was not going to tell Sean that she had asked her father once, he was vague with the answers he gave her and had gotten angered when she pressed for more information.</p>
<p>"Hmm," Sean nodded. "That day, when I saw you and your family, I didn't know the full extent of what was going on. My father told me to go to the home and make sure nothing was taken. Micheal had left a massive debt unpaid to my father, he had left his family home and the contents in his Will to my father to pay off that debt."</p>
<p>"I-I didn't know."</p>
<p>"Michael, unfortunately, had a gambling problem. He was penniless when he died."</p>
<p>Max now understood why her father had gotten upset.</p>
<p>Sean smiled to change the mood. "I’m going to build in the area, but I wanted to offer you the chance to purchase back your family home. Contents included, of course." Max raised her eyebrows. "Are you interested in purchasing it?"</p>
<p>"I… uuuh..." Max was stunned.</p>
<p>Sean smiled. "Of course, you don't have to answer me now. But please think about it, I'll come up with a purchasing price for the home and have one of my staff email you with the offer."</p>
<p>There was a knock at the door. It opened with the assistant holding her tablet, looking at it. "Excuse me, Mr. Prescott, Doctor. Sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Manitou's meeting is in ten minutes."</p>
<p>"Ah, thank you, Mrs. Wagner." Sean turned to Max. "Sorry to cut our meeting short but with time zones I'm sure Mr. Manitou would rather be sleeping instead of having a conference call at three in the morning."</p>
<p>"Oh yes, by all means." Max held out her hand to shake Sean's. "Thank you for the offer, I will think about it. And thank you for the family history."</p>
<p>"My pleasure." Sean paused and looked at the model of the tall ship he had on display. He picked it up and held it out to her. "I believe this is yours."</p>
<p>"I…"</p>
<p>"It's yours, Maxine. I can't believe I took away a young child's gift from a grandfather to a granddaughter. Please, this is yours."</p>
<p>Max held out her hands and took the gift back. She looked up at Sean with glassy eyes. "T-thank you."</p>
<p>Sean nodded. "Have a good day, doctor."</p>
<p>"Thank you, you too." </p>
<p>Max was guided out of the home and back into a waiting car.</p>
<p>Sean stood in his office as Nathan and one of his own assistants, Eliot, stood next to him. Sean spoke, "Did you find anything?"</p>
<p>Nathan replied, "No, she didn't have it."</p>
<p>Sean turned to look at his son, thinking. "We'll sit back and watch. Have the men do shifts to keep an eye on her."</p>
<p>"It's very much possible she has no idea of what Micheal had in his possession," Nathan commented. Sean grunted at his son’s remark. Nathan then added, "And knowing the feud Micheal and Jacob had, it's quite possible he destroyed the map before he died."</p>
<p>Sean didn't answer right away. He scrolled through his phone and pressed a call number. Without looking up, he repeated, "Keep an eye on her…" He turned his back and looked out the floor to ceiling windows. "Ah, Thomas, how is Arcadia's bank manager these days?"</p>
<p>-------------------</p>
<p>As Sloane parked the Jeep in the Blackwell parking lot, Chloe was already out the door, jogging toward Max as the town car drove away. The auburn was walking up the stairs, holding a ship model while trying to get her phone out of her pocket.</p>
<p>Chloe climbed the stairs two at a time to get to her. "Max!"</p>
<p>Max turned. "Chloe. Oh, oh, I am so sorry. I- did you... I phoned and-"</p>
<p>Chloe held both of Max's upper arms with the ship model between them. "Yeah, I heard. Fuck, I was worried."</p>
<p>"Ohh, I am so sorry, it was just so unexpected."</p>
<p>Max saw both Sloane and Rachel trailing behind.</p>
<p>"-It just came to the top of my head to phone you. But I freaked out for nothing, thinking it was something bad."</p>
<p>Chloe rubbed both of Max's shoulders with a smirk. "Look at you, Nancy Drew."</p>
<p>Max rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I don't know if Nancy was ever in the situation of shitting herself." Chloe chuckled.</p>
<p>"So, you're okay?" Sloane asked. "I-" Sloane looked at Chloe and then back to Max. "I fucked up, I was to keep an eye on you and-"</p>
<p>"I wasn't in any danger. I thought I was, with the whole dark car moving up beside me and getting in the back seat… It was like something out of an adventure book." Max smiled.</p>
<p>Rachel spoke up, "So, is anyone going to tell me what happened?" There was a pause between the three ladies looking at her.</p>
<p>"I was picked up by one of Sean Prescott employees and Sean offered to sell me my grandfather's home," Max replied.</p>
<p>"Yes, I understand that, we all heard the call," The Lieutenant said.</p>
<p>"Oh, I- ah-" There was another silent pause. <em> I'm not good at lying. </em></p>
<p>Rachel looked at Sloane. "Why were you watching Max? What was so important to run into traffic?"</p>
<p>Sloane replied, "I saw Max, and it looked like she was getting forced into a car. I went to go help her."</p>
<p>There was another pause. Rachel gave them enough time to come clean. Once she realized that it wasn't going to happen, she furrowed her brow. Her voice was low and filled with annoyance, "Give me my keys." Sloane held them out. Rachel snatched them back and walked away. Sloane looked at the others; she wanted to tell Rachel. "Don't," Chloe warned. Sloane looked back at the Lieutenant, watching her walk back to her Jeep. She took a step toward Rachel but felt Chloe's arm on her, holding her back. Sloane turned back to Chloe. "She knows something's up, at least now we can explain. If she goes back now and reports to Commander Dickwad, we'll have more issues."</p>
<p>Chloe replied, "What does she have? Max getting picked up by a person and we thought she was being taken. But we find out that she was going to an unscheduled meeting concerning a personal matter. That’s it. She knows nothing and we're keeping it that way."</p>
<p>Sloane hauled herself away from Chloe, feeling defeated. "I'll see you back at the boat." She walked down the stairs as Max and Chloe headed into the school, with Chloe phoning Victoria. Sloane stood on the sidewalk and watched Rachel speed by without even a look in her direction. <em> Fuck </em>. It was the right thing to do. The more people that knew about the map, the more lives could be in danger and Sloane didn't want that for Rachel.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. It Begins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next couple of days were quiet as work continued onboard The Chase. The Captain was informed that the town’s main pier was now open for The Chase's vessel to dock for however long they needed to be, courtesy of the Prescotts. It was a pleasant surprise for the crew as they didn’t need to schedule a boat to go ashore and be back at a set time. The crew spent more time in the town once their work schedule was completed, to the happiness of bars, restaurants and other local businesses.</p><p>Rachel had, to the surprise of the women that knew about the map, never informed the Commander of what happened to Max. She didn’t bring extra officers with her at her next shift and made no other inquiries. Sloane and the others noticed, though, that the Lieutenant was distant and more formal with them. She never called anyone by their first names anymore. The officer did her job to watch, rain or shine, and didn't speak unless she was spoken to or if there was an issue. She stopped joining the crew in the galley during mealtime and at the end of her shift she simply left without saying a word. Chloe and Victoria both had to have another talk with Sloane about not letting the officer know what was going on. Sloane knew better. She just didn’t like the fact that she had lied to her. Why Sloane cared now that this person knew she was lying also bothered her. She disliked that when she walked by Rachel and smiled or said something small like mentioning the weather, she got the minimum response. It was just a yes or no answer or sometimes a grunt or a nod.</p><p>-------------------</p><p>Max sat with Chloe in the galley as she looked at her phone. "Wowzers." Chloe looked up from her tray of food and hummed, wanting to know what the woman had read. "Sean just sent me the offer to my grandfather’s home."</p><p>"And?" Chloe asked, putting a forkful of food in her mouth. Max looked up at Chloe and showed her the email. Chloe’s eyes widened then swallowed her food. "What? I didn’t know… should homes in this area even come close to that value? I thought people were leaving."</p><p>"Yeah, they are, it… shouldn’t be so..." Max sighed. She placed her phone down on the table. "I have student debt, there is no way I'm putting myself further into the money pit and I know my parents will never move here."</p><p>"I’m sorry, I knew this meant a lot to you." Max smiled a small smile, feeling Chloe’s hand over hers for a moment to give it a gentle squeeze. <em> Warm. </em>Chloe furrowed her brow. "That douche is taking advantage. Dude has so much money, why not sell it for what it's worth?" </p><p>Max shrugged, picked up her fork and poked her food. "I didn’t even think of asking him why nothing was removed from the home when we were talking. I wish I could’ve gotten a few things in the home."</p><p>Chloe raised an eyebrow while drinking, then put her cup down. "That can be arranged." She took another forkful of food, looking at Max. The archaeologist felt butterflies in her stomach, seeing Chloe’s smile. <em> Ooooh, dog, I wanna… </em> Max couldn’t finish her thoughts as Chloe nodded her head towards someone who just entered the galley.</p><p>Sloane scraped chocolate pudding from her bowl. She decided to eat her dessert first since it was dark chocolate, something she had a weakness for if properly prepared.</p><p>Max watched the conversation go back and forth between the two women. Chloe put her arm around Max’s shoulder. "Come on, me n’ Maxie need your help… 🎜Cooome on🎝" She then looked over at Max with that impish look and wiggled her eyebrows. <em> Oooh, </em> Max thought. That look turned her on so easily, but it also made her nervous about what she was getting into. <em> Oh dog</em>.</p><p>"Take a look at this for me." Chloe pushed Max’s phone across the table. Sloane licked her spoon. "Can you?" Chloe asked.</p><p>Sloane stopped moving and glared at Chloe… there was silence. Max didn’t know if Sloane would tell them to screw off or... Chloe took her own chocolate pudding and placed it on Sloane’s tray. The dive partner glanced down at it then back to Chloe, then to Max. Sloane’s attitude turned to one of disgust. Max held her breath and looked away. <em> Uh-oh</em>.</p><p>"Are you fuckin’ bribing me to commit a B&amp;E…? Are you fuckin’ kidding me?! There's a Coastie watching us most of the time and we’re also sure someone attacked Max to get the ‘thing’ from her and is probably watching her still." Sloane pointed with her spoon at her dive partner. "You yelled at me when I lost her."</p><p>Chloe had, and she did apologize to Sloane, but it was still hurtful. "I am so-"</p><p>Sloane cut her off, "And you still want to proceed by offering me, what, the ship's chocolate fuckin’ pudding?!" Sloane looked up in disbelief of what Chloe had asked her to do after everything that had happened. She then looked at Max and slowly shook her head. Max looked like a child disappointing a parent. "I-I can’t…" Sloane lowered her voice. "What the fuck?!" Chloe leaned back as Sloane shook her head again, pointing. "I expected this from you," Sloane said, then looked over at Max again, "but not you. You should know better than to eat your dessert if you are going to bribe me." Sloane took her spoon and dove into Chloe’s pudding.</p><p>Max blinked multiple times at Sloane. "I-I-I didn’t know I would be bribing someone w-with chocolate, I'm sorry." Chloe smiled at Max’s apology. <em> You are so cute when you get flustered. </em> Max was genuinely sorry that she had eaten her dessert.</p><p>Sloane pointed her spoon at Max with her mouth full. "Not any chocolate, dark chocolate." She put another spoonful into her mouth with a hum.</p><p>Chloe sipped her coffee. "So..."</p><p>Sloane didn’t look up from her pudding and ate two more mouthfuls. "Give me a tension hook and an electric toothbrush." She looked up at Chloe with a little pout. "Also, a hug, cause you yelled at me."</p><p>Chloe smiled, stood up, leaned towards Sloane from across the table and kissed her on the head. "I’m sorry for yelling at you and saying what I said."</p><p>Chloe sat back down as Sloane spoke, "Maxie, she yelled really loud at me, she was so scared for you."</p><p>Max blushed. "I’m sorry." She looked at Chloe. "I really didn’t mean to scare you."</p><p>Chloe played it off that it didn’t bother her. "S’okay, you were fine, we worried for a bit, but everything was fine."</p><p>Sloane, the wingman, mumbled into her pudding, "Chloe worried about you the most, though."</p><p>Max again glanced at Chloe, who had hidden her face into her mug, taking a long drink of her coffee.</p><p>
  <em> You were worried about me? </em>
</p><p>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>She arched her back against her seat, trying to find a comfortable spot. Her right leg was once again going numb, so she shifted her body weight and leaned up against the vehicle door. For the past two nights, Rachel had spent more time in her vehicle than her own home. She stretched her neck, hearing it pop, relieving some tightness as she peered through the front window beyond the droplets that were accumulating and sliding down from the light rain. The Lieutenant watched and waited through heavy eyes into the darkness. Like clockwork, Max would leave first in the evening and then sometimes Chloe and Sloane would leave together. If they left separately, she would keep an eye on Chloe, seeing as the woman was getting closer to the doctor. The Lieutenant thought that if they were up to something, Chloe would be by Max’s side. Chloe’s routine would be to either go to a bar or diner with Max or go to Blackwell. Sloane was to head for the bar and leave drunk. Rachel felt for the woman and had to convince herself that she shouldn’t go in there and just sit with Sloane to talk. When they were at the cafe, she had enjoyed their conversations. Sloane was someone who could easily put a smile on your face and make you feel comfortable. But she also knew the woman had some past demons that she was going through and wished she would seek help instead of falling into a bottle. At the end of the nights, Chloe would go and meet up with Sloane to help her home. Or Sloane would have a backpack with her for the night and get a motel room to crash in instead of going back to the ship. Tonight, it was the ‘carry your drunk partner home again.’</p><p>Chloe had her arm around Sloane’s lower back as she held her up by her belt. The woman heavily leaned on Chloe as her feet shuffled along the pavement. Rachel sighed and thought about leaving her personal stakeout to help them. Sloane needed to seek help and Rachel wondered why no one onboard The Chase was helping her emotionally. Sloane's knee buckled. Rachel put her hand on the door handle to get out as Chloe caught the drunk before she fell. "Dude, Jesus fuckin’ Christ, you're giving me a bad back. Stand up straight!" Rachel heard Chloe loudly say in the distance under a street light.</p><p>Sloane swayed back and forth with a stupid grin on her face. She then put her hand on Chloe’s face, almost poking the woman in the eye. "Looove you."</p><p>Chloe rolled her eyes, wrapped one of Sloane’s arms around her neck as she took hold of the back of the woman’s belt again and shuffled her along. Chloe spoke quietly through clenched teeth, "Could you at least take some of your own damn weight?"</p><p>Sloane smirked with her head bobbing around. "What would be the fun in that? It’s supposed to be believable." </p><p>They entered the docks and shuffled towards The Chase. Chloe helped Sloane up the gangway and onto the vessel, with Sloane almost falling again. The two women went inside and out of view. Chloe dropped her hand off of Sloane’s belt and arched her back, rubbing her lower back. "Fuck, man, I’m gonna get a slipped disc from carrying your ass."</p><p>Sloane stood up and turned, smiling, "Suck it up, buttercup. I have to play my part." Sloane held up her head to the room, listening to the imaginary crowd clapping over her scene. "I am but an actress." She was taken out of it with a slap to the shoulder.</p><p>"I’ll kick your ass if you tweak my back. Come on, drunkie," Chloe said.</p><p>Sloane looked over her shoulder as the two walked further into the vessel. "She was there, but parked on the other side of the road."</p><p>"Yeah, I noticed too, Sherlock changed up her stakeout spot, OOooouu," Chloe replied sarcastically,</p><p>as the two women chuckled.</p><p>Sloane, for the past two nights, would leave the bar through the back exit, or leave the motel, knowing that the Lieutenant was watching Chloe. She had headed to the old Caulfield home to do her own reconnaissance with a few pieces of equipment.</p><p>Sloane entered her quarters with Chloe closing the door behind her. "So, it looks like there isn’t security that stops by during the nights. The area has no outside cameras or sensors of any kind. I couldn’t detect any inside what I could see through the windows, either. There is no security alarm in place and the home electric meter is not moving, so there is no power going to the home. Also, I checked the outside hose tap and the water supply has been shut off."</p><p>Chloe nodded. "The home is completely abandoned."</p><p>"That’s what it seems."</p><p>Chloe nodded again, "The latest weather report has projected a small rainstorm coming up the coast. It should hit by tomorrow evening and last overnight into the morning. Get a room at the motel again and bring what you need. I’ll spend the night with Max-"</p><p>Sloane smirked at her. "Bet you actually want to spend the night with her."</p><p>Chloe smiled and gently punched the woman in the shoulder with a sigh, "Yeah."</p><p>"Then why haven’t you? She’s clearly into you," Sloane said, sitting in her desk chair and swiveling it around to put her feet up on her bed.</p><p>"She…" Chloe crawled on Sloane’s bed and looked up at the ceiling. "I’m not sure. I mean, there has been some extra touching and smiles, but she could be just a little affectionate and flirty." Chloe smiled again, thinking about the cute archaeologist. Sloane teased, "🎝Chloe’s got a crush🎜" Chloe tapped her friend in the shin. "Dude, don’t make it weird."</p><p>Sloane snorted and giggled, "I never make stuff weird."</p><p>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>Into the afternoon, Chloe and Sloane were on deck, looking over their equipment. Their plan was simple, talk about what they were going to do tonight within earshot of the peeping after-hours Lieutenant. Chloe was in mid-sentence as Rachel strolled by, she spoke up a little louder, "-Yeah, I’m gonna go up to Blackwell again with her."</p><p>Sloane wanted to tease a bit, "You’re spending a lot of time with Dr. Freckles."</p><p>"Ah, uh." <em> I am</em>. Chloe shrugged. "I like being around her." She then smiled as she thought about Max. "She’s nice, smart, she doesn’t show it around the workplace but she’s sarcastic as fuck, I love it."</p><p>Sloane added, "Cute, nice smile, giggles at your jokes, likes to touch you whenever she can."</p><p>Chloe shrugged and raised her eyebrows as she stopped working. "I am very touchable."</p><p>Sloane chuckled, "You're really crushing on her." It was not a question; it was a statement. Chloe thought for a moment, their conversation was supposed to be just the details of what they were going to do tonight, but somehow it took a turn. She didn’t mind answering the question, "I don’t want to sound like an angsty teen, but-" Chloe smiled again. "We’ve been in contact almost every day since we arrived. I like her company, I’m thinking about her when she is not around, I just wish I knew if she was ga-" Chloe stopped what she was doing. "Oh, my fuck, I’m sounding like a teen pining over someone."</p><p>Sloane laughed at Chloe's realization. "Make your move, sista."</p><p>Chloe didn’t comment as both women watched the Lieutenant walk down a level. They wordlessly acknowledged that they could now speak more freely that she was out of earshot.</p><p>"But yeah," Sloane continued, watching the blonde walk down the stairs. "Ask her out to dinner, at least." She turned back to her dive partner and pointed. "And don’t take her to the diner or talk about work wherever you bring her." Sloane then raised her eyebrows and smirked. "You can, however, talk about me cause I’m awesome." Chloe scoffed and pushed her partner, chuckling as Sloane continued, "Then, during the evening, tell her that you’re interested." Chloe didn’t comment as she continued with her equipment. Sloane stopped working. "Ohh, wow." Chloe glanced at the brunette. Sloane was a little shocked over her friend's behavior. "You got it bad."</p><p>Chloe rolled her eyes. "Dude, don’t make it weird."</p><p>"What's weird? You're attracted to a person. You have a chance to start something that you can take your time with. And I know it’s been a long time since we were stationed at a location. You have time. This project is going to be a long one."</p><p>Chloe again didn’t say anything. <em> There’s no way she’s gay</em>.</p><p>"Chlo, ask her out, make that jump into something good." Sloane nudged her partner, getting her attention. "We both know what it's like living on a ship, hopping around from place to place. You have time to develop something meaningful, cause that woman is into you."</p><p>The Lieutenant hadn’t gone far. She had walked down a deck and now leaned up against the outer railing directly underneath them and heard everything.</p><p>Chloe huffed and smiled, "Look at you, getting all feely with your emotions."</p><p>"Yeah, well, I like seeing you happy. So shut the hell up and finish inspecting your stuff, dork."</p><p>Chloe chuckled. "Softie. Ever since we arrived here, specifically, ever since you laid eyes on a certain blonde, you were first stumbling over your words like an idiot and looking at her like a deer in headlights. I’ve caught you checking her out many, many times, and-"</p><p>Sloane cut her off with a monotone reply, "Not gonna happen, she hasn’t spoken a word to me since the car incident with Max... plus, she not gay. She’s seeing someone." <em> Kinda</em>.</p><p>"How do you know?" It was Sloane’s turn to be quiet and Chloe picked up on it. "Have you been online stalking her?" Sloane looked over and stared. Chloe chuckled. "Oh shit, you’ve looked her up online." Sloane looked down at her helmet, tightened a fitting and mumbled unconvincingly, "I was doing security checks."</p><p>"Pff, what does our Coastie look like wearing normal clothes and doing normal things?"</p><p>Sloane paused. "Hot… real fucking hot. Jesus, she's beautiful. She doesn't show it, but she has an amazing smile. When we were talking at the coffee shop, it was nice and relaxed. She was easy to be around."</p><p>Chloe nodded, understanding, feeling the same with Max. She chuckled again as she saw Sloane looking over the water's horizon. "Did you know she climbed Mount Hood? And she surfs, well she did, I guess there isn’t much big curl wave action in Arcadia. And she did a few triathlons in her early twenties."</p><p>Chloe laughed, pointing at herself, "Dude, I know I’m pining over Max, but," she then pointed at her dive partner, "you have no idea that you’re doing the same."</p><p>Sloane’s voice was once again monotone, "To a woman who’s not into women and is in a relationship with a lawyer, of all things. Yeah," Sloane tossed her ratchet in the toolbox behind her on deck, "I suck big fucking time." Chloe handed Sloane a cloth for her helmet and both were quiet, lost in their thoughts. Rachel walked back up onto the deck again, undetected by the two women. The brunette diver spoke, cleaning the glass on her helmet, "Ask her out, Chlo, don’t let it go." Chloe smiled at her, put an arm around the friend’s neck, hauled her close and kissed the side of her head. "What would I do without you?" Sloane opened her mouth to answer and Chloe squeezed her arm around the woman’s neck. "Don’t answer that." Instead, they both chuckled. From behind them, someone spoke, "I found this." Chloe and Sloane both turned, seeing the Lieutenant standing behind them with a socket in her hand from the ratchet set. "It was rolling around the deck. You don’t want someone slipping on it."</p><p>Sloane stumbled over her words with her hand out, "I, uuuh," the officer placed it in the diver’s hand. "T-thanks." A finger touched another. Sloane, with a tiny smile, stared, unsure of what to say as Rachel smiled, nodded, and walked away. Chloe once again saw Sloane’s reaction to being around the woman. She gently pushed Sloane’s shoulder and quietly chuckled and talked low, "And you say I have it bad."</p><p>---------------------------------------------------------</p><p>Rachel returned to the Coast Guard headquarters when her shift ended. She had no idea why she was still doing this watch duty. There wasn’t anyone taking over her position when she finished her shift. Instead, the team stayed at headquarters and was told to log whoever left the boat or any suspicious activity they saw onboard. Rachel knew Madsen had to have the police involved when she was not on board. She felt left out on both ends. Her Commander was not telling her fully what he thought was going on and Rachel wanted to give the three women on The Chase the benefit of the doubt to come clean and to trust her, but it never came through. Instead, she backed off completely. The Coastie was not part of their crew. She was a stranger that was forced into their community. Rachel walked up the outside stairs of the Coast Guard building and met Dana at the start of the woman's overnight shift.</p><p>"Hey babe, how was your day?" Dana, as always, was chipper. Rachel lazily smiled, tired. Dana stopped smiling. "Auuhhh, that bad?"</p><p>Rachel replied sarcastically, "I love being a security guard that guards nothing."</p><p>Dana returned a small smile to comfort her. "Sorry."</p><p>"Yeah, thanks."</p><p>"Are you going to be home tonight, or are you still doin’ the whole stakeout thing?"</p><p>Rachel sighed and wondered why she was still doing it. <em> I wanna know what they’re doing? </em> "Yeah." They climbed the stairs. "Can I use your car tonight? You have a seat that reclines better, and you have a butt warmer."</p><p>Dana smiled. "Sure, sweetie."</p><p>"Thanks, think this will be my last night of watching them after hours. They’re up to nothing." In the back of her mind she knew she was wrong, but from the tiredness of not getting sleep and the frustration of being the outsider, she started to care less. <em> Let the police handle things after hours. </em></p><p>-------------------</p><p>The Lieutenant had parked Dana's car on a side street to get a visual. The temperature had dropped as the storm approached that evening. She had reclined back in the comfy car seat and turned on the butt warmer, keeping her body warm during the night. The Lieutenant tossed more trail mix into her mouth and stretched her neck as she watched Max’s room directly over the principal’s dorm room. Max and Chloe once again had gone to Blackwell, bringing back some finds and spending time in the lab. Into the night, the officer watched both of them walk back to the dorms. She smirked. <em> Maybe Chloe did make her move. </em> Later on, she watched Max’s dorm light turn off with a small lamp giving off light. Chloe hadn’t left. The Lieutenant smiled. <em> Good for them</em>. A small bit of her felt jealous.</p><p>-------------------</p><p>Rachel looked at the time, <em> 1:12 am</em>. The rain came down in buckets, drumming the car’s exterior. She couldn’t see anything more than twenty feet in front of her. <em> Fuck this. They’re not going anywhere, both of them are hooking up- </em> She sat up and put the seat back up - <em> while I’m sitting in a car, eating dried food- </em>  Rachel put her hand on the ignition to start the car and looked up, seeing two people jog across the street. Her eyes widened. </p><p>-------------------</p><p>
  <strong>TEXTuя</strong>
  <br/>
  <strong>🐟Price 🠆 🐡Black</strong>
</p><p><strong>🐟Price:</strong> The Jeep isn’t parked at the school</p><p><strong>🐡Black:</strong> I just got my room at the motel. I<br/>              didn’t see it parked by the bar or<br/>              around the motel.</p><p><strong>🐟Price:</strong> Looks like she gave up, at least for<br/>              the night because of the storm.</p><p><strong>🐡Black:</strong> Heading out</p><p><strong>🐟Price:</strong> K<br/>.<br/>..<br/>...<br/>….<br/><strong>🐡Black:</strong> Just walked by the CG HQ, her Jeep<br/>               is still there, double shift?<br/>.<br/>..<br/><strong>🐟Price:</strong> Cu soon</p><p>
  <strong>🐡Black: (☉ꇴ☉)</strong>
</p><p><strong>🐟Price:</strong> No emojis, what are you, 15?</p><p><strong>🐡Black: :*</strong><br/>.<br/>..<br/><strong>🐟Price: :*</strong></p><p> </p><p>Chloe had a small smile. "Think you and Sloane would make great text buddies."</p><p>"Oh?" Max replied, tying up her boots.</p><p>"The both of you and your emojis."</p><p>"They are our hieroglyphics of the new millennium."</p><p>Chloe pocketed her phone. "Come on, mini ninja."</p><p>Max put on a black watch cap completely wearing black from head to toe. She looked up at Chloe, adjusted her gloves, and took a steady breath.</p><p>Chloe reassured her, "Relax, nothing big is gonna happen."</p><p>Max raised her eyebrows. She whispered, even though the students were asleep and they were still in her room, "Chloe. I’m going to commit a crime tonight. I could lose my job and everything I worked for, for the past decade. And let's not forget I could serve time and have a record."</p><p>"Max, you don’t have to do this. Me n’ Slo can go, you don’t have to-"</p><p>Max shook her head. "I want some of my grandfather’s things. Sean is not going to keep them anymore." Max paused for a moment, put her hand on her upper opposite arm and opened up a little about what she was feeling. "Just… this is a big thing for me to do. The closest thing I came to breaking the law was taking more ketchup packets than what I should at a <a href="https://imgur.com/a/C5iSNjx"> Wendy’s restaurant</a>."</p><p>Chloe replied, "Hmm, I remember hearing about the great Wendy's ketchup thief still being at large... that was you?!"</p><p>Max looked up at Chloe, trying not to smile and forced herself to glare at her. "Quiet you."</p><p>Chloe grinned, "You do look like the wanted poster." She then tugged the Auburn hair that was sticking out from Max’s cap. "They got the freckles and hair about right." Max rolled her eyes and gently batted away Chloe’s hand. <em> Fuck, you are adorable, </em> Chloe thought. Max smiled, walked to her desk, switched on a lamp, and then played a movie on her laptop, keeping the volume at a reasonable level.</p><p>Both stood by the door, Chloe adjusted Max's beanie and backpack. "Come on, get that cute butt in gear." She winked, turned off the lights, opened the door to peek out, and walked into the dark hallway.</p><p>Max was still in her room, unmoved and speechless. <em> She said my butt was cute. </em></p><p>Chloe whispered back, standing in the doorway, "Come on, 007 Bond girl."</p><p>Max tilted her head down and walked past Chloe, hoping the darkness hid her blushing face.</p><p>Tonight's mischief had begun.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Reclaiming the Past</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Just before two in the morning during a rainstorm, 90% of the population of Arcadia Bay were in their homes or somewhere staying dry. No one wanted to be out in this weather. Sloane knelt stoically in the overgrown back garden behind some bushes, waiting as raindrops fell from her eyelashes. Her grey eyes were the only thing showing as she peered into the darkness. She was dressed in dark clothing with her head covered under a waterproof balaclava. Her eyes darted to the left, seeing movement by a worn and degraded fence. Two figures appeared between the wooden barrier; keeping close to the structure, they knelt and waited. Lightning flashed over the Bay and the thunder rumbled. Sloane looked at her watch. <em> 1:44 am</em>. She moved silently from the other side of the back garden.</p><p>Max turned her head, frightened when she saw movement. Chloe placed a hand on the woman’s knee to steady her. Max watched Sloane swiftly walk up the three steps to the back door. At the same moment, Sloane hauled out an object from her side thigh pocket. She knelt in front of the door and less than ten seconds later she had the lock picked and the door open. Max watched the woman hold something up to her eye, giving off a soft green hue as she looked inside. A moment later, Sloane signaled with her hand for them to come. Chloe patted Max’s knee and the two girls promptly made their way into the home.</p><p>The three women stood in the Caulfield home on an old rug in a hallway. The air was cool inside with an old, stale smell and the only sound was the patter of rain on the roof and windows. Sloane moved by herself, looking through what Max thought was a weird monocular. Michael's office door was on the left, right across from the living, dining room, and kitchen area. "We’re good," Sloane said after a moment and put the device in her side pocket.</p><p>Chloe turned on a small penlight, emitting a red light. She whispered to Max, "Go."</p><p>Max walked towards her grandfather’s office. The door was half-open, just how she'd left it years ago. She placed her fingertips on it and pushed it all the way open, looking at the office chair. The memories overtook her as she walked towards the desk. She could almost see him looking up from a blueprint, smiling at her and speaking to her in a thick Irish accent, "Ahh, there’s my little A stóirín." (/ah store-een/little treasure). Max looked down at the desk and in-between the dusty paperwork, maps, and book piles, she gently picked up his coffee mug. She noticed the leftover stain of the last cup he had well over a decade ago. The granddaughter carefully picked up the porthole that was used as a coffee coaster that was underneath it. Max didn’t want to move a thing. <em> This was how he last had it</em>. It was messy, but he knew where everything was. She placed the mug back down in its spot. <em> I miss you, Athair mór (Ah-her More/ Grandpa)</em>. She opened her backpack, blinked back the tears and placed the item inside.</p><p>Chloe quietly stood in the office, looking around, eyeing all the pictures and items in the room. Her attention was brought back to Max when she heard her sniff. She stepped forward and leaned around the woman and whispered, "You okay?"</p><p>Max, glassy-eyed and biting her lower lip, nodded, not giving Chloe any eye contact. The diver looked on, feeling the woman's pain of missing someone and having something taken away from them. She watched as a tear ran down and Chloe gently cupped the woman's cheek and brushed the tear away. </p><p>Max looked up into blue eyes, welcoming the warm touch. She stared, captivated by the woman before her. Chloe looked into sad eyes and it hurt to see Max like this. <em> Please don't cry. </em> Chloe, still holding her hand onto Max's cheek, looked down at her lips. Her thumb brushed the bottom corner of them. <em> I wish I could. </em> Chloe looked back up into Max’s eyes. Lightning flashed and Max was brought out of her daze. She blinked a few times and brushed another tear away from her other cheek, feeling embarrassed. "Sorry," Max whispered.</p><p>"It’s okay, it’s gotta be emotional being back here." Chloe placed her hand by her side. "Is there anything else you wanna get?" Max nodded. She walked over to a cabinet in the room, knelt to one knee and opened the bottom cabinet door to retrieve one photo album. She placed it in her pack, then noticed an old Polaroid camera. She picked it up and fondly remembered the last time she used it to take multiple pictures of a gift her grandfather gave her.</p><p>Chloe watched Max place the items in her pack then heard a slight, quick noise behind her. She turned then swung back around, grabbing Max from behind and covering the woman’s mouth. Max quickly breathed in from her nose and made a little squeak, wide-eyed from fright. Chloe looked at the startled woman and put her finger up to her lips. She then hauled Max behind the office door, keeping her close.</p><p>Sloane had stationed herself in the living room where she could keep her eyes on the main road through the living room's window that had a dusty, sheer white curtain drawn, as well as the backdoor they had entered through and the office area during their excursion. She looked out the living room window once more, then to the back door. Her eyebrows furrowed. She made a small mouth noise call for Chloe’s attention. Her dive partner turned, recognizing the sound and Sloane motioned with her hand towards the back door then added another hand command. Chloe immediately turned and grabbed Max to hide. Sloane backed herself into the living room and around the corner with her back up against the wall, with her hand hovering over a taser holster. Her breathing was slow and steady as she heard the back door open. She felt the cold air come in with the sound of the storm, then the door quietly closed. Boots slowly stepped toward her with a small light illuminating the hallway floor.</p><p>Chloe stood in front of Max to protect her as they hid behind the glass door with a blind drawn down. She had pushed the door halfway closed to the way it was before they’d entered the room and steadied the swaying blind. She then leaned back and whispered, "Someone’s here." Max held her breath and tried to control her shaking as she heard boot steps coming towards them. <em> Oh no-no-no</em>. There was a pause, then the illumination of light went across the office hardwood floor and then rose, lighting up Micheal's desk. Lightning flashed again and then the flashlight erratically jerked to the ceiling as someone yelped. The light disappeared with the sound of movement and someone hit the floor with a heavy grunt. A painful moan emerged in the darkness then a few seconds of silence. A woman’s voice painfully called out and Chloe quickly stepped around the door.</p><p>The small flashlight's illumination moved cautiously down the hallway towards the living room. It scanned the corner of the room then turned towards the open office door. With their back turned, Sloane took action. She silently moved around from the living room corner and went for the person before her.</p><p>Lightning flashed, and for a split second, the hallway lit up enough to see the movement in a mirror’s reflection and what was behind. The person ducked from Sloane and turned just in time as they missed being grabbed. They came back swinging for a punch that was easily blocked by the diver. The flashlight fell to the floor as Sloane grabbed a wrist, bent it into an uncomfortable position and they let out a yelp of immediate pain. She slid her hip towards them, flipping the body, having them fall hard to the floor. The flashlight slid across the floor and stopped, lighting up two faces. Hazel eyes looked up to a masked figure with distinguishable grey ones. "S-Slo-?" Rachel painfully said, trying to get the wind back into her lungs. The Lieutenant watched as Sloane’s eyes went from an angered look to one of surprise, then sorrow. Sloane removed her wrist lock and the forearm pressure she had on the side of Rachel’s neck and got off of her. The Lieutenant rolled to her back in pain, let out a groan, then saw two others standing before her.</p><p>The discussion wasn’t going to happen there. Sloane saw a vehicle pull up along the road and turned off the dropped flashlight. She whispered, "Vehicle out front." Chloe put out her hand for Rachel to grab and got the woman to her feet. The Lieutenant slumped over, holding her shoulder and winced. Sloane, by the window, peeked out, turned and went back to them. "Police, we’re leaving now." The four women left the old cedar home out the back. Sloane, the last to leave, scanned the key rack by the door, knowing what was there, and took the one labeled ‘House.’ She locked the inner doorknob, closed the door and used the key to turn the deadbolt securing the house once more.</p><p>A few minutes later, two lights illuminated the area between two houses and then an overgrown backyard. Two police officers walked around a home. One, with their flashlight, peered in through a window. The other officer turned the back doorknob and found it locked. He went to his radio as his partner, with his hand up to his face, tried to block the wind and rain, scanned the overgrown backyard once more. "It’s clear at 44 Cedar, going to make our way to you." The two officers started to walk away, happy to get back in their car. "Probably some kid cutting through backyards to get home quick in this shit."</p><p>The four women played a game of cat and mouse with the police, who were following up on a report of a person that was spotted sneaking through someone's backyard.</p><p>Chloe was taking the lead, followed by Max, Rachel, then Sloane. They were crouched by another fence, waiting. Sloane leaned towards Rachel. "Did you walk here?" Rachel shook her head and winced again as she held her shoulder. She handed over her keys. "It's the black SUV parked up ahead." Sloane, crouched, then made her way to Chloe. </p><p>They got to the SUV and Chloe opened the driver's door. Max got in the front passenger side. Sloane held the backdoor open for Rachel. The Lieutenant got in and leaned over, cradling her arm. Both dive partners looked at one another across the vehicle, not saying a word. Sloane was the first to look at the slumped over person in the back, then looked back at her partner. Both of them then got in the vehicle.</p><p>Silently they drove to Blackwell and parked just outside the school grounds. Chloe looked at Sloane in the rearview mirror then to Rachel then back to Sloane. "I got it," Sloane replied. Without a word, Chloe and Max left the car to get back into Blackwell quietly.</p><p>Sloane got out of the back and sat in the driver’s seat. She glanced in the back mirror, seeing Rachel in pain, her heart compressed at what she had done. She put the vehicle in drive and drove away in silence.</p><p>Max opened her dorm door, quickly walked in and stood in the middle of the room, dripping wet. Chloe removed her jacket, beanie, and tossed them onto the couch. She put her fingers through her short hair, giving her head a rub. "We’re good." She looked at Max. The woman hadn’t moved from the middle of her room. Chloe walked over and turned her around. Max, wide-eyed, was scared. Her body was shaking and her lips were trembling. "Hey," Chloe quietly said. Max looked up at Chloe, unable to speak. Chloe gently took off Max's pack, her cap and unzipped her jacket. "It’s okay, you’re okay." The diver removed Max's gloves, slid the jacket off and tossed it with her own. Max’s eyes never left Chloe’s. Chloe held the woman by the upper arms, slowly rubbing them. "Max, you're okay. We’re safe. Nothing is going to happe-" Max quickly leaned forward and kissed Chloe hard. Chloe, surprised, stepped back. There was a pause... Max looked at Chloe’s lips then to her blue eyes and kissed her again. She pushed the taller woman up against the door, grabbing a handful of Chloe’s hair. It took a second for the diver to react to what was happening. Chloe grabbed Max’s body and hauled her close, turning them around. The small auburn let out a grunt as her body was pressed up against Chloe’s. She retaliated with a bite to the woman's neck. Clothes were swiftly removed as they made their way to the bed, kissing and grabbing at each other. Chloe took Max by the hips and tossed her to the small bed with her immediately following behind.</p><p>Sloane opened her motel door, hearing the tv she left on broadcasting the news. She walked in with the Lieutenant behind her, slowly following with her arm held to her chest. The brunette took off her jacket then went to the Lieutenant. She gingerly took the held arm with her two hands. Rachel bit her jacket's collar and, with her free hand, unzipped her garment and slid it off one shoulder. Sloane took the jacket from behind, sliding it off the woman as both kept the injured arm stable. She then hauled up a chair. "Sit."</p><p>The Lieutenant sat down and rested her injured arm on the chair's armrest. Sloane placed her hands on the woman's shoulder, checking it. "It’s not broken." She pushed a little from the top corner with Rachel wincing and moving away. "S-sorry," Sloane whispered, then gently pressed around the area of the joint. "Can you hold your arm straight out?" She helped Rachel lift her arm. Sloane held it out straight and stepped around to Rachel’s side. She gently hauled it back so it was almost held out to the side and rotated the arm at the same time. A loud pop came from the joint and Rachel let out a yelp, leaning forward. Sloane held the Lieutenant's arm, waiting for the pain to subside. "Sorry," she whispered again.</p><p>Rachel shook from pain, adrenaline and the cold, being soaked to the bone. The Lieutenant hadn't been dressed for the rain that evening. "I have to get you warmed up," Sloane said as she untied Rachel’s boots and took her feet out of them. She went to the bathroom and came back with a towel. She wiped Rachel's face then put it over the blonde's head and patted the wet hair that was in a tight bun. She helped Rachel stand and guided her to the bed. "You’re wet from the waist down. Take off your pants and get under the covers to get warm." Rachel didn't protest; she was shivering too much. She unholstered her sidearm. Sloane took it and placed it on the bedside table, then turned and walked over to the heater in the room to turn it up. She turned to see Rachel struggling to take off her pants with one hand. She stepped forward. "Here, let me." She knelt and lowered the woman’s pants that were stuck to her. Rachel stepped out of them and Sloane stood then drew back the sheets and blanket. Rachel got in bed, shaking as Sloane hauled up the blanket. "Okay." Sloane picked up the wet pants and placed them on the chair to dry by the heater. She took Rachel’s phone, added her number to the Lieutenant's contacts then placed it next to her on the bed. "I’ll be back in a few minutes. Call me if…" Sloane stopped for a moment, looking at the woman. "Call me if something happens." Sloane turned and left the room with the car keys.</p><p>Rachel watched the door close. She waited a few seconds before she let out a groan as curled up in a ball, holding her shoulder. "Auuh, Jesus fucking Christ."</p><p>-------------------</p><p>Sloane walked into the Arcadian gas station, picked up a basket and briskly walked down an aisle, gathering items. She went to the back refrigeration units to get water and heard the ding noise of someone entering the store, followed by two-way radio bleeps. Sloane’s guard went up. She glanced at the back storage entrance that she knew would have a rear exit.</p><p>"We’re just getting some coffee, over," a male voice said.</p><p>Sloane stepped back and closed the refrigeration unit's door. She pretended to look at the contents of an energy drink but was watching the reflection of the two police officers in the glass door. She placed the drink and some bottled water in the basket then casually walked around the store, picking up unneeded items here and there, waiting.</p><p>"How’s it goin' on this shitty evening, gentlemen?" the old gray-haired man asked from behind the counter.</p><p>"Shitty," one officer replied, handing over some money. "Two coffees and two donuts." The officer's partner was at the coffee station, pouring up two cups.</p><p>The old man continued with the small talk, "You two look worse for wear."</p><p>"It's coming down pretty bad and the winds are starting to pick up. A friggin' tree on Robinson’s and 4th fell and knocked out some power to the area. Found it when we were doing a search."</p><p>"Heh, I bet it was the dead tree in front of Rick’s house. He was told to have it removed years ago."</p><p>"Well, he saved some money by letting the storm take care of it." The men chuckled as his partner joined them.</p><p>"Nothing serious going on tonight, is there?" the old man inquired, giving back the officer his change. "You said you were searching?"</p><p>The officer took the change, put it in a donation box on the counter, and then took the coffee that was offered to him. "No, had a report of some suspicious activity in an area, but found nothing. Mrs. Thompson probably saw some kid cutting through the back gardens, taking a shortcut home in this weather."</p><p>The old man chuckled, "That woman is always peepin’ out her window, gossiping with Maureen. I don’t think she ever sleeps."</p><p>The officers chuckled again, said their good-nights and left the store. Sloane made her way to the counter.</p><p>"Anything else I can get you, ma’am?" the clerk asked.</p><p>"JW Black," Sloane replied.</p><p>The man turned to grab a bottle of scotch. "You from the science boat?" he asked, placing the item in a plastic bag.</p><p>Sloane smiled, "Yeah."</p><p>"Find any interesting stuff out there?"</p><p>Sloane glanced out at the parking lot and decided to do some chit-chat with the man while she waited for the police car to leave. "Some minor things." She took out her wallet, paying in cash, and continued, "We found a set of old dishes from the hotel that was once there."</p><p>The man raised his eyebrows, giving the woman back her change. "Really? That is interesting." He gathered up the filled bags for Sloane and handed them over. "Here you go, have a good night."</p><p>"You too, take care," Sloane replied, opening the gas station door as the police car left the area.</p><p> </p><p>Rachel took her hair out of the tight bun to dry and looked down at her phone with the police contact displayed. She was deciding what to do. <em> Why the fuck did they break into a house? </em> The Lieutenant didn’t know if they took anything but it was a given that's why they were there. She thought of how she would explain her actions, why she didn’t report the break-in immediately, and why she went home herself. Rachel felt another wave of pain to her shoulder. She was lucky that it wasn’t someone that was seriously going to hurt her. <em> Or would she? </em> Sloane easily overpowered and dropped her hard. <em> What was I thinking? She threw me like I was nothing. </em> Rachel looked down at her phone with her thumb hovering over the police number, then it moved over, pressed a button by the side of the phone and closed the screen. She tossed it onto the bed just as the door opened and Sloane walked in with two bags. She sat up a little in bed as her hair fell forward and looked up. Sloane, wet, stood in the doorway for a moment, staring at the woman in bed. She broke eye contact when she realized she was staring and put her head down and closed the door.</p><p>Sloane opened up a bottle of painkillers, handed them to Rachel, and then gave her a healthy amount of Scotch to wash them down. She had already placed an ice bag behind Rachel’s shoulder, seeing that the swelling had already started. Sloane quietly commented, "You should take the day off tomorrow and get your shoulder, collar bone, and bicep checked out." She didn’t give Rachel any eye contact again. "I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was you."</p><p>Rachel laid down, trying to get in a comfortable position, and winced in pain. Sloane, by her side, placed the extra pillow behind the woman’s back for extra support for her shoulder. Rachel quietly asked, looking away, "What did you take from the home?" She then looked back at Sloane.</p><p>Sloane stared at the slightly long, wet, blonde-haired woman lying in bed. <em> Beautiful. </em> Rachel saw there was a hint of sadness, then it was gone, hidden. Sloane looked away and didn’t answer.</p><p>"Christ, I’m not going to the police and I haven’t told the Commander anything. When are you going to trust me?"</p><p>Sloane answered back, "I do trust you." Rachel scoffed at her and looked away again. "I-" <em> Don’t. </em> Sloane told herself. The diver emotionlessly stepped back. "I’m sorry." <em> I’m sorry for hurting you, I’m sorry for lying to you, I’m sorry that I can’t tell you. </em> "You should get some rest." She walked over to the tv and turned the volume down then turned off the room light. She then sat in a chair by the small round table next to the window with the sheer white drape drawn over. Rachel watched Sloane’s silhouette as she sat there pouring a large quantity of scotch and silently looked out the sheer curtains to the parking lot below. The Lieutenant didn't push the questioning; for some reason she didn't want to start an argument.</p><p>Rachel woke twice during the night. She noticed the scotch level hadn’t changed in Sloane’s glass and she was texting someone. The second time she woke, the glass was moved to the other side of the table and the level was still untouched. Sloane was leaned over with her head in her hands and let out a quiet sigh, looking out into the night.</p><p> </p><p>TEXTuя<br/>🐡Black 🠆 🐟Price</p><p>🐡Black: At room<br/>.<br/>..<br/>...<br/>….</p><p><br/>🐟Price: Did you drop her off at the hospital</p><p>🐡Black: No</p><p>🐟Price: ?</p><p>🐡Black: I wasn’t going to dump her off at the<br/>              hospital and bail on her</p><p>🐟Price: For fuck sakes<br/>.<br/>..<br/>🐟Price: Jesus christ tell me she’s not with<br/>              you now and you dropped her home<br/>.<br/>..</p><p><br/>🐟Price: Godammit, what are you doing?</p><p>🐡Black: You wouldn’t bail on Max, and you<br/>               wouldn’t dump her at a hospital or<br/>               leave her alone. She said she wasn’t<br/>               going to the police, we’re fine.</p><p>🐟Price: Don’t bring her into this</p><p>🐡Black: I’m not, I haven't said anything.<br/>              She’s sleeping, I’ll drop her off at her<br/>               home in a few hours, and I'll be back<br/>               at the boat for my shift.<br/>🐡Black: Was at the gas station, police came<br/>               in getting coffee and were chatting<br/>               with the clerk. They think it was a kid<br/>               running around back gardens to get<br/>               home.</p><p>🐟Price: See you on the boat.</p><p>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>Sloane turned off the vehicle’s engine. She took out the keys and handed them to Rachel, sitting in the passenger seat. The woman’s arm was held up with a makeshift sling using Sloane’s long outer blue and gray plaid shirt. It was still raining before sunrise when they left the motel. Sloane was the only person to speak and that was to get the Lieutenant up in the early morning. They remained silent when Rachel got dressed and as they drove. The patter of rain on the vehicle was the only noise heard as the two sat inside. Rachel held her hand out and the keys were placed in her palm. Before Sloane took her hand away, she gently held Sloane’s wrist and hand. She didn’t say anything. The Lieutenant waited, giving Sloane time to talk, who still couldn't give her any eye contact.</p><p>The brunette’s voice was quiet when she spoke, "Trust me... that we did come here for the project." Sloane kept her eyes averted. "You didn’t report to your Commander about Max that day. We know you’ve been watching us at night." Rachel was surprised that they knew. "You said you weren’t going to the police about what happened last night. I trust you." Sloane paused, looked up and out the windshield, watching the rain droplets stream down the window. "Trust us and know that we're not the bad people you think we are... Trust me that the last thing I want is for you to get hurt on mine or anyone else’s account." Sloane glanced at Rachel’s shoulder, then back out the windshield. She added quietly, "Any more, at least." The interior of the car windows were already starting to cover in condensation, giving them some visual privacy in Rachel's driveway. Rachel quietly asked, "What did you take?"</p><p>Sloane knew if she answered ‘nothing important,’ Rachel wouldn’t believe her and their trust would be completely broken. If she told her about why they were there last night and the map, her life would be in danger for knowing any of it. Sloane, gently with her thumb, drew it across Rachel’s wrist, then looked at her. "You need to trust me." Sloane then got out of the vehicle, stepped into the rain, and walked away.</p><p>-------------------</p><p>Rachel sat on her sofa, wrapped up in a blanket to keep warm. Her tea had already gone cold as she stared off into space, thinking. <em> What did they find? Why couldn’t they tell me? Max knows. A few people onboard The Chase know. Does Madsen know? Is that why we did the abrupt inspection? Is that why he’s keeping me onboard? Why couldn’t he tell me about it? How did he find out about it? Whatever it is. </em> Rachel was confusing herself. <em> Wait, Sloane said that they were there for the project and we boarded the boat a day after they arrived before the actual excavation started. Does Madsen know something about the area? Who told him? And whoever this person is, what do they know? </em> Rachel sighed and put her hand through her hair. She had too many questions and now conspiracies going through her head. With the lack of sleep from the past few days and from last night's events, she was exhausted. Rachel flinched when Dana opened the front door after her overnight shift. The Lieutenant hated what she was going to do. She rubbed her forehead. <em> Fuck, now I'm going to be lying. </em> She sighed. <em> Whatever is going on has them worried. </em> Rachel thought of what Sloane had said. <em> 'You need to trust me.' </em></p><p>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>Max sat at her dorm desk, wrapped in a bedsheet and with a serious case of morning bedhead. She looked at her grandfather’s porthole that he'd used as an elaborate coffee coaster. It was made of brass that had tarnished over the years. The swinging window was clear with multiple scratches on one side, while the main housing had colors of dark orange, green and blue that was held together with a lead. Max ran her finger over one small triangle lead blob near the top center. She held up the small porthole in the morning light and squinted. <em> Stained glass</em>.</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Warm arms wrapped around her from behind. A voice whispered into her ear, "Morning, beautiful." She then felt her neck slowly getting kissed. Max smiled and turned her head, giving Chloe a warm morning kiss. "Morning, Leannán."(/leh-NAHN/ Lover)</p><p>Chloe stood up with a smile. "Ou, fancy name." Max hummed as she kissed the inside of Chloe’s wrist. </p><p>"So, that’s it?" Chloe asked, looking down at the artifact. Max picked it back up and handed it to her. Chloe looked it over then peered through it.</p><p>"Maybe," Max replied. "It’s stained glass."</p><p>Chloe hummed, looking at the lead veins within the glass. Max continued as she used the ship model she was given back from Sean. She turned it around and used her pen to point to a spot in the back of the Captain quarters. "Thaaat’s it right there."</p><p>"Wow, your grandfather was really into getting the details of the ship down." As she leaned forward to get a better look.</p><p>Max hummed. "Yeah." Chloe handed the item back. Max took her own coffee mug that was on her desk and placed it on the porthole as her grandfather would do. She smiled. "Should I also put this in a safety deposit box?"</p><p>Chloe thought for a moment as she put on her pants. "Well, the riddle was hidden on the map that you’ve had for over a decade without anyone knowing. IF someone had seen the map before, they wouldn’t have known about the riddle. IF, and this is a big IF, someone did know about the riddle..." Chloe shook her head as she continued getting dressed. "We had the idea of what the ‘Ship’s window-’" Chloe emphasized her next word, "could be, not saying that the portal is what we were looking for... would this someone have come to the same conclusion? Probably not, seeing as the portal was left on Michael's desk for years.</p><p>Max hummed, "True."</p><p>Chloe sat on the couch, tying up her boots. "But, was it just a coincidence that your grandfather had a ship's porthole in his office that looks like that? And that," Chloe pointed to it. "Could very well be the actual one from the Barracuda. It's a shitload of coulds and ifs... along with putting missing pieces together." Chloe stood up. "So I say keep it, it makes you happy." Max caressed the tarnished brass with her thumb with a small smile. Chloe put on her jacket as Max stood and walked over, holding the bed sheet around her. Chloe smiled at the state the woman was in. Max wrapped her arms around the tall woman and kissed her. "Thank you."</p><p>Chloe smiled and kissed her back. "Glad we could help, beautiful." Max happily hummed into another kiss. "I’ll see you later this afternoon?" Chloe asked.</p><p>"Definitely," Max said with a smile.</p><p>Chloe smiled back and slowly leaned down, placed her two hands on Max’s jawline and kissed her slowly. "Last night was amazing." Max smiled and blushed a little with Chloe's smile widening. "Who knew that you would get turned on from breaking the law?"</p><p>Max rolled her eyes. "Think it was more of the company I keep."</p><p>Chloe stepped back and placed her hand on the door handle. She looked back. "I’ll make a tomb raider out of you yet, Caulfield." She leaned forward and kissed Max again. "See you soon."</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>Once the door closed Max took a few steps back and sat on her bed. She then flopped to her side with the biggest smile on her face and giggled, holding her bedsheet up to her nose. <em> Oh, my dog</em>.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Drop Off</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nathan Prescott stood looking out his condo apartment windows at the people below him, walking around in Portland.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>🔔<em> *Bzz* </em> 🔔 <em> *Bzz* </em> 🔔 <em> *Bzz* </em></p>
<p>📱 E.H</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nathan picked up his phone. "Yes."</p>
<p>Eliot Hampden, Nathan's hired assistant, reported, "Last night the police were called to Cedar and 4th area for suspicion of someone trespassing around the area. The police think that it was just a person cutting the back yards to get home quickly from a rainstorm. They did a window check and found nothing along with a search around the Caulfield home. There were no signs of forced entry."</p>
<p>Nathan thought for a moment. "I don't trust those idiots in the Bay. Go, take a look, and report back to me."</p>
<p>"Understood." </p>
<p>Nathan ended the call and looked back out the window again, thinking to himself.</p>
<p>-----------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Eliot, later that afternoon, stood in the Caulfield’s home entrance. He pocketed the keys and looked around before he took another step off the front doormat. The late-twenty-year-old man noted that the front entrance lock didn’t look like it was tampered with. He then looked at the staircase in front of him, seeing the dust built up over the years that hadn't been disturbed. <em> No one went upstairs</em>. He stepped off the welcome mat and into the walkway that led to the living room, dining, kitchen and office area. He stepped into the living room. Not knowing all the home contents, he scanned the area, looking for something out of place. As his eyes slowly moved from the carpeted floor and onto the hardwood, he stopped, then tilted his head to the side when he noticed random clear streaks through the dust on the hardwood floor in the hallway. <em> Dust has been disturbed</em>. He took out his phone, took a few pictures, slowly walked down the hallway, and stopped. Eliot stared at the back door, then down at the rug at his feet, then at the back door again. He knelt.</p>
<p>His hand moved around on the slightly damp rug as he looked up at the back door again. <em> That's how you got in</em>. Eliot looked further around by his feet not seeing water spots on the hardwood floor. <em> Dried overnight</em>. He then stood and turned, facing another door. Standing outside an office, Eliot, with a gloved hand, slowly pushed the door open. The sound of boots carefully walking were the only sounds in the home. They stopped once more and then there was a flash from a camera. A picture had been taken of the water stain at the edge of a light-colored rug in front of a desk. The man continued his investigation, looking at the desk and the layer of dust over rolled out maps, books, and other office supplies.</p>
<p>Not noticing anything obviously out of place, he scanned the area once more and his focused eyes picked out a clean spot on the floor where the rug ended by a cabinet.<em> Found it</em>. After taking another picture of the dust disturbance, he opened a lower cabinet door. Eliot raised his phone once more for another picture, capturing the space between two binders. He inspected both and found that they were family photo albums. The items were placed back in the cabinet and he left the office.</p>
<p>Eliot turned the deadbolt then unlocked the back door, opening it up to the unkempt yard. He knelt to inspect the keylock, not seeing any new scrapes or markings to indicate lock picking. <em> Key? </em> He stepped outside the home on the top step and looked around the overgrown garden. The long grass was disturbed. <em> From the Police looking around last night</em>. Eliot backtracked and left through the front of the house and got in his car.</p>
<p>
  <strong>TEXTuя</strong><br/>
<strong>Eliot 🠆 Nathan</strong>
</p>
<p><strong>Eliot:</strong> Image01.jpg<br/>
<strong>Eliot:</strong> Hallway just outside the living room, the dust has been<br/>
         disturbed.<br/>
<strong>Eliot:</strong> Image02.jpg<br/>
<strong>Eliot:</strong> Hallway rug is damp. <br/>
<strong>Eliot:</strong> Image03.jpg<br/>
<strong>Eliot:</strong> Rug by the desk is damp.<br/>
<strong>Eliot:</strong> Image04.jpg<br/>
<strong>Eliot:</strong> In the office by the cabinet, dust has been disturbed.<br/>
<strong>Eliot:</strong> Image05.jpg<br/>
<strong>Eliot:</strong> Inside of the cabinet, there is a space between two photo<br/>
         albums.<br/>
<strong>Eliot:</strong> No one went upstairs or entered the living room or kitchen<br/>
         that I can see. Only rooms entered were the hallway and<br/>
         office. No forced entry and it doesn’t look like any of the<br/>
         door locks were picked. I will send you some other pictures<br/>
         of the area.<br/>
<strong>.</strong><br/>
<strong>..</strong><br/>
<strong>Nathan:</strong> Your payment will be transferred to you within the hour.</p>
<p><strong>Eliot:</strong> Understood</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nathan sat in his office chair, then leaned back, thinking. He swiped through the pictures Eliot had sent once more and stopped at the back door lock picture. <em> She had a house key? </em> Nathan furrowed his brow. <em> How? </em> He then started tapping the desk with his index finger. <em> Grandfather Joshua or father didn’t replace the locks when they had them kicked out of the home? </em> Nathan looked out his condo windows, <em> idiots</em>. He swiped again until he saw the picture of the space between two photo albums. <em> She retrieved a family photo album</em>. Knowing what his father’s asking price for the family home was, it was understandable that Max could not afford it. <em> She wanted a family heirloom? </em> </p>
<p>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Two weeks had passed since the four's midnight excursion. Ensign Trevor Yard replaced Rachel during her recovery time. Sloane hadn’t broken Rachel's shoulder or collar bone, but left her with a bone bruise to the acromion, the bone just above the humerus, and a pulled bicep muscle. The Lieutenant had told Commander Madsen that she'd slipped and fallen during the rainstorm. He placed her on light duty and deskwork that was even worse than being a watchdog on The Chase. At the end of Trevor’s first shift, he met with Rachel to talk about the job. "Holy hell, that ship is beautiful, they have the new Merc Verados on their runners and they're using them to go back and forth a hundred yards from The Chase to the site! It’s an Inline 6 that-that-that at full throttle can almost hit 7000 rpm, and can plow through or jump waves! And-and-and they’re using it as a-a-a… taxi!"</p>
<p>Rachel smiled and chuckled at the gearhead. "Did you see anything out of the ordinary? Or were your eyes glued to the engines all day?"</p>
<p>Trevor replied with no emotion and a monotone voice, "Did you not hear me say that they are using Verado engines as a taxi service?" Rachel rolled her eyes as Trevor started to chuckle. He continued, "Nah, I walked around the ship and talked with some of the crew, very nice by the way. Nothing out of the ordinary, they’re following regulations." Trevor stopped walking up the steps and took Rachel's arm. "Dude, they have a kickass entertainment room to watch movies n’ shows in. It has a popcorn maker like the ones at the theatre!"</p>
<p>Rachel chuckled.</p>
<p>Trevor frowned as they continued up the stairs. "What are the chances of us getting a popcorn maker for the workroom?</p>
<p>"Sorry, Trev, you will have to microwave your packet like the rest of us peons."</p>
<p>"Auuugh," Trevor said, throwing his head back in frustration.</p>
<p>"So, seriously though, nothing?"</p>
<p>"Yeah, nothing, Lieutenant." Trevor lowered his voice, "Commander Madsen is, yeah, overreacting, as you’ve said." Trevor shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "I don’t mind the job duty; I watched people pick through mud while I ate popcorn. Can’t complain."</p>
<p>-------------------</p>
<p>Rachel had stopped her surveillance of Chloe, Max and Sloane during her after hours. There was no point, they already knew that she’d been watching them. There was something that they were keeping from her and it was clear that she would never know. The Lieutenant had already gone through enough questions in her head that were never going to be answered. She was able to watch them every day at headquarters with binoculars on deck doing work onboard or entering the waters for their dive shift. She noticed that Chloe had indeed taken a step forward with Max. Almost at the end of every shift, they left together, or Chloe went to Blackwell in the late evening to stay over. Sloane had stopped spending nights at the motel and only on Saturday did she go to the local dive bar, always coming back sober. She noticed an old truck parked by the docks. It seemed that one of the two had bought an old beat-up, piece of shit, tanned truck that they used to travel around town to pick up supplies.</p>
<p>Rachel came out of her monotonous job of writing yet another report, this time concerning the department's supply of expired flares when she heard someone call out to her.</p>
<p>"Heeey, Lieutenant."</p>
<p>Rachel looked up from her laptop at Ensign Myers. "Sorry Sam, my head was into this riveting report." The woman smiled, standing in the doorway. "Ah."</p>
<p>"What can I do for you?"</p>
<p>"When you go to pick up the food from the diner, can you deposit this cheque into an account for me? We’re sponsoring the high school football team. Pretty please?"</p>
<p>Rachel smiled and held out her hand to take the envelope. She'd volunteered to pick up supper for the evening shift just to get out of the building for a while. Getting to go to the bank would be a bonus. "Sure, Hon."</p>
<p>"Thaaank you, the account is written on the back of the check, just fill out the deposit slip at the kiosk."</p>
<p>"Sure."</p>
<p>-------------------</p>
<p>Rachel’s stomach grumbled. She glanced at her watch. <em> 6:45, sooo hungry</em>. She shut her vehicle's door, zipped up her jacket, and walked to the bank. The coldness was in the air, days were already getting shorter, noted by the sun disappearing over the horizon.</p>
<p>The bank was relatively quiet, with only a few customers inside. Rachel walked to the kiosk and began to fill out a deposit slip. She looked up when she heard a set of keys drop on the counter across from her. "Evening Dr. Caulfield." The Lieutenant said, noticing the scrap marks across the woman's face. She hadn’t spoken to Max since their illegal night with Chloe and Sloane. Max replied monotonously and quietly, "Evening." Max kept her head down and took a deposit slip, then peeped outside the window. Rachel glanced up at the woman, it seemed that Max was not going to be forthright with friendly small talk. Rachel knew that there would be some awkwardness about what they did, but there was no reason to be rude. She felt that Max should’ve known by now that she wasn’t going to report to the police what she and the two others did. The Lieutenant placed the chained pen back in the holder as a folded slip of paper was placed by her and Max walked away without speaking.</p>
<p>Rachel opened the folded sheet and furrowed her brow. Her eyes then widened and her adrenaline spiked. <em> ‘Being watched. Chloe kidnapped. Want map. Tell Slo. Go to drydocks.’ </em> Rachel turned to see Max being guided by one of the bank staff to a back room. The Lieutenant looked around; there were only three customers in the bank that were already there when she came in. <em> What the fuck is going on?! </em> She hauled out her phone.</p>
<p>-------------------</p>
<p>Chloe had walked out of Tony’s liquor store into the early evening with a bottle of wine and a smile. Sloane needed the truck that evening as she had to do a supply run for several crew members that needed their fix of goodies. Chloe looked at her phone as she passed an alleyway and sent a quick text to Max that she was on her way. She was taken out of her happy mood when she was shoved to the side. Her phone dropped and skidded across the sidewalk. "What the fu-" The diver was hit from behind between her shoulder blades and she stumbled forward, dropping the wine. The bottle shattered on the concrete, splattered its red contents everywhere. Chloe immediately brought up her hands out of instinct to protect herself. Someone grabbed her jacket from the front. In her daze, she jabbed her fist forward, making contact with someone's throat. The attacker immediately let Chloe go with a choking cough.</p>
<p>The diver stepped back, noticing someone else to her right and the sucker punch coming her way. She blocked it and swung back, punching the male attacker's in the mouth. A kick to the back of the knee off-balanced Chloe, she was too late to put up a defense and saw the blur of a two by four, then her world went to black. The diver slumped to the ground as she bled heavily from the nose and mouth. Two men dragged Chloe to an open panel van and tossed her in, along with her phone, and left the area.</p>
<p>-------------------</p>
<p>Max was on her way to Blackwell. She’d just left the local market with tonight’s supper that she and Chloe were going to make together. The school had a small kitchen in the girl’s dormitory common area for students to use. The refrigerator was always stocked with students' snacks, but the oven and stove were rarely used, so Max was going to take advantage of the unused appliance for the evening. She felt her phone vibrate with a message. With her hands full, she juggled, putting two bags in one hand to retrieve her phone. The auburn, distracted, didn’t notice someone walk up behind her. She did, however, take notice of someone grabbing her neck and something jabbing against her back. A man from behind growled, "Don’t fucking look back. Keep walking… go to that fucking dumpster." Max’s heart pounded, her eyes were glassy, she shook so hard and let out a small, terrified whimper. "Shut up," he warned, "Keep fucking quiet." The hand around her neck tightened. She was pushed towards a dumpster by the side of a local store then a hand pushed her head and kept it there up against the brick wall, scraping the side of her cheek and nose. She dropped her bags. "Look at the fucking wall," the man demanded.</p>
<p>Max’s voice was small and shaking, "P-please don’t hurt me. Take whatever is in my wallet."</p>
<p>"Shut the fuck up." He thrust a phone in front of her face. It showed a picture of Chloe beaten and bloody.</p>
<p>Max’s eyes widened. "No. Oooh, please, no."</p>
<p>"You have something I want." The phone and the image of Chloe disappeared. "You will go to your safety security box that you recently opened and retrieve it. You will then go to the abandoned dry dock by the cannery and hand it over. Then, and only then, will your bitch be released." Tears streamed down Max’s cheeks as she shook like a leaf. "P-p-please don’t hurt her. You can have it. You c-can have anything."</p>
<p>Max felt them take her phone from her back pocket. "You’re going to be watched, you even think about telling someone at the bank about what’s going on, I will know, and she will die with one text." He leaned forward to her ear. "And you’ll never find her fucking body. Keep your mouth shut and go, don’t fucking look back, I’m going to be behind you." Max was hauled away from the wall by her hair. She let out a yelp and was pushed away from the dumpster. She stumbled with her hand over her mouth as she tried to control her breathing and tears. Max wiped the tears away with the sleeve of her sweater and walked towards the bank, terrified. <em> Please don’t kill her</em>.</p>
<p>-------------------</p>
<p>Sloane hummed to the store’s music as she stood in a grocery aisle, looking at her phone and the crew’s list. -<em> Got Price's toothpaste. Vic, seriously, what is with all the ginger? Ginger cookies, ginger tea, candied ginger… oh, shit! </em> Sloane raised an eyebrow. <em> Is she... getting seasick?" </em> Sloane smirked. <em> Hee Hee, Navy girl, getting seasick. </em> Sloane's list app was replaced by her phone app popping up on her screen. <em> Rachel? </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rachel stepped away from the bank kiosk and walked to a corner next to the ATMs and quietly spoke, "Sloane, Max just walked into the bank and handed me a slip of paper that said Chloe’s been kidnapped."</p>
<p>"What?!"</p>
<p>"I swear I'm not joking around. It said, ‘Being watched. Chloe kidnapped. Want map. Tell Slo. Go to drydocks.’"</p>
<p>There was a pause, then the sound of quick breathing. "Rachel, keep your distance, don’t talk to her. Where are you?!" Sloane had left her cart of food at the local market and ran out the door.</p>
<p>"Inside the Arcadian Union Bank. I didn’t want to leave her."</p>
<p>"Is there someone else waiting inside the bank for her?" Sloane opened the truck door.</p>
<p>"No, no one else came in after her."</p>
<p>"They're probably outside waiting. Did she go to the safety deposit area?"</p>
<p>"Yes, she's in the back now, how-"</p>
<p>"Wait for her to come out, then leave before her. Get to your vehicle and wait inside. Hold for a sec." Rachel heard a beep on her phone.</p>
<p>"Sloane," Victoria answered as she entered the group call.</p>
<p>"We have a Panama situation." The diver declared.</p>
<p>"Who?!"</p>
<p>"Chloe. Rachel is at the bank. Max handed her a note. Lieutenant, read it out."</p>
<p>Rachel spoke up over the three-way call, "Being watched. Chloe kidnapped. Want map. Tell Slo. Go to drydocks."</p>
<p>Rachel overheard Victoria talk to the Captain as the woman placed the phone on speaker telling him of the situation. He issued orders to the bridge crew, "Notify Team One and Team Two, we have a Panama situation, Chloe Price."</p>
<p>"Aye, Sir," replied a crewman.</p>
<p>He then turned to another, "Use Chloe’s phone’s GPS to find her."</p>
<p>"Shouldn’t we call the police?" Rachel questioned.</p>
<p>There were simultaneous replies, "No."</p>
<p>Victoria asked, looking at satellite imagery of Arcadia Bay, "Is the dry dock the one by the cannery?"</p>
<p>Rachel answered, "Yes." She looked up, seeing Max walk out with a bank employee. As instructed, Rachel left the bank and quietly reported, "Max just came out from the back, heading to my car now."</p>
<p>Sloane calmly talked with Rachel, "Rach, I'm about halfway there now. Start describing everything you see."</p>
<p>"K, ahh," Rachel's voice was shaking. "Ahh."</p>
<p>"Who’s around?" Sloane asked.</p>
<p>"An elderly couple walking on the sidewalk."</p>
<p>"Any cars parked in the lot with you?"</p>
<p>"Yes, two, there’s no one in them." Rachel got into her vehicle. She looked up to see Max leave the bank. "She just walked out."</p>
<p>"Don’t follow her yet. Wait. Watch who’s around her, see if anyone follows."</p>
<p>Rachel’s eyes darted around. A car passed by without stopping to pick her up. "She’s going to go around a corner. I won’t see her."</p>
<p>"Okay, start your car and stay far behind-"</p>
<p>"There’s a man walking on the opposite side of the street looking at her. He just picked up his phone, placing a call."</p>
<p>Victoria spoke up, "Take a picture and send."</p>
<p>Rachel took a photo of the man and sent it to the group.</p>
<p>"Got it," Victoria responded.</p>
<p>Sloane spoke, "LT, I’m coming up behind you now. I want you to drive by Max and turn on the next street. Drive down the road and park in front of another car and wait for the two to walk by."</p>
<p>"Yes, Ma’am," Rachel replied and drove by, passing the man watching and following Max, then Max, seeing the woman in her rearview mirror with her head down. "What the fuck is going on?" Rachel whispered to herself.</p>
<p>Sloane parked her vehicle on the side street and watched Rachel make her turn off in the distance. The area was a darkened street. On the left was a fenced-off, abandoned warehouse, an old drydock and cannery warehouses. To the right were small businesses, closed for the night, and undeveloped woodland. The street was clear with only Sloane’s and another car that she had parked behind. She watched Max cross the road to the drydock warehouse, then the auburn slipped in-between the lock and a loosely chained swinging gates and headed for the side door across the overgrown parking lot. The man ended his phone call and hastily walked closer to Max. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Captain Easton spoke up over the phone, "Sloane, Team One is in the water, they’ll enter the drydocks on the south side."</p>
<p>"Aye," Sloane replied as she saw the man following Max haul out a beanie from his coat pocket. In a few strides he was behind Max and placed it over her head. Max screamed and struggled, and the man shook her then slapped her across the face. Her legs buckled and the attacker held up the smaller woman, pushing her toward the door.</p>
<p>"Motherfucker," Sloane seethed. "The guy hooded and punched her. He's hauling her to the warehouse door, north side." Sloane started her truck and drove down the road. "Lieutenant, on me."</p>
<p>"Yes, Ma’am," Rachel replied, and did a u-turn in the street.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>With their vehicles parked next to each other outside the fenced area. The two women met as Captain Easton spoke over the phone, "I want you to stand down, Sloane, let the team handle it."</p>
<p>"Sorry Cap, not gonna happen." Sloane ended the call and took Rachel’s phone and also ended hers, then placed it on silent.</p>
<p>"What are you doing?" The Lieutenant asked, looking confused.</p>
<p>"You have your sidearm?" Sloane asked and glanced at Rachel’s belt.</p>
<p>Rachel lifted her jacket, showing her holster. "Yes."</p>
<p>"Are you up on your marksmanship?"</p>
<p>"I, ahh, had my review two months ago."</p>
<p>Sloane nodded. "Right, let’s go."</p>
<p>"We're not waiting for your team?!" Rachel's eyes were wide. She had taken her gun out before during a few boardings since she started with the Coast Guard but she had never fired her weapon in the field.</p>
<p>"No, we're not fucking waiting," Sloane said, already moving.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The two women ran towards the warehouse. When they reached the door they both went up against the wall beside it. Sloane put her hand on the handle and pushed it down, finding it unlocked.</p>
<p>She looked back at the Lieutenant. "Ready?"</p>
<p>Rachel drew her weapon, blew out a quick breath and nodded.</p>
<p>Sloane encouraged her, "Watch your corners and rely on your training." Rachel nodded and Sloane hauled the door open. She stepped back for Rachel to enter first. Rachel checked the corners, then the area. Sloane kept low and gently closed the door behind her as Rachel waited. Sloane took the position behind the Lieutenant and followed closely with her hand on the back of the officer’s shoulder. Rachel’s training kicked in as they swiftly went further into the facility, taking cover behind a stack of old pallets.</p>
<p>The drydock was a warehouse that sat half on the land and half over the water. It was once used by fishermen in the town as a dry, covered area to repair their boats throughout the year. There was a large door on the waterside of the facility that drew up for boats so they could enter the warehouse by water, then dock in one of the piers berths. Or, if need be, they could have their boat hauled out of the water for any hull repair or propeller change.</p>
<p>There, on one of the berths, Chloe knelt with her hands behind her back. Her face, shirt, and jacket were covered in blood. Another man stood behind her, watching his partner guide the hooded woman towards them. Damon complained as he started to untie one of the ropes from the pier then tossed it into a boat. "About fuckin’ time." </p>
<p>Damon's partner, Frank, replied. "Whatever, she’s got short legs."</p>
<p>Chloe looked up with swollen eyes, split lip, and a bloodied nose. She looked at Max, who was hooded and being manhandled as her satchel was taken off her. "Stay still, girlie," Frank warned.</p>
<p>"You motherfucker," Chloe growled. "Let her go, you assho-" Chloe’s head snapped to the side from Damon hitting her again. She slumped over onto the pier and spat out more blood.</p>
<p>"Shuuut the fuck up," Damon said. "Bitch has a mouth on her."</p>
<p>Frank opened the satchel and took out a thin folder. He opened it and found the old map in a transparent protective sheet. "Got it." He placed it back inside and tossed the satchel into the boat.</p>
<p>"Fine, get her on the boat," Damon said to Frank. "Get this shit over with."</p>
<p>Frank took Max by the arm and hauled her forward. She tripped on the pier, almost falling off. "For fuck sakes." He ripped off the beanie and tossed it to the deck of a 25-foot center console boat. "Step down," he demanded, pushing.</p>
<p>Max did as she was told. "Please let us go, you have what you want."</p>
<p>Frank stepped down into the boat. "Shut up." He pushed her to an aft corner. "Sit, don’t fucking move."</p>
<p>Max sat down and held her knees to her chest as she shook. She looked up at Chloe slumped on the dock not moving. Frank watched Damon grab Chloe by an arm as her wrists were cuffed behind her. He hauled her back to her knees. "Sit up, bitch."</p>
<p>"Just shove her off from there," Frank said impatiently.</p>
<p>Damon stepped around the kneeling, bleeding woman, and with his foot, shoved her off the pier. Chloe landed on her side with a thump. She grunted and coughed in pain, leaving a blood splatter on the boat’s deck.</p>
<p>Max cried, "Chloe!" She crawled over and touched Chloe’s face, wiping the blood away. Max pleaded, "Please, you don’t have to do this!"</p>
<p>Frank leaned forward and backhanded Max, dazing her. "Shut the fuck up and stay in the fucking corner!"</p>
<p>Damon knelt and untied the last rope.</p>
<p>-------------------</p>
<p>Sloane had quietly moved in the water. She dove down under one pier and moved closer, silently surfacing next to another small pier's wooden post. Sloane heard Max plead for Chloe and her to be let go before the diver slipped below the surface again towards the next pier, then under the docked boat. She emerged with only making a few light ripples in the water at her mark and waited by the boat’s outer hull.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Frank stood back from Max, looking up at Damon. "Come on, man, hurry the fuck-" he let out a yelp as his jacket was hauled from behind and he went backwards into the water. Damon looked up, surprised at seeing Frank fall back into the water.</p>
<p>"U.S. Coast Guard, don’t move or I'll shoot!"</p>
<p>Damon quickly turned to see a female Coast Guard officer pointing a gun at him. "What the fuck?!"</p>
<p>Chloe rolled to her side, knelt up, and instinctively crawled on her knees to use her body to cover Max in the boat's corner.</p>
<p>Damon stood and looked at the disturbance of the water, then looked back at the female officer. He sneered at the woman then hauled out a large hunting knife. "Fucking bitch." He stepped forward toward Rachel. Two shots were fired and Damon fell to the pier with the knife falling from his hands. <em> Jesus Christ! You just had a knife! </em> Rachel held her aim at the man with her breath quivering. <em> You had a knife! </em> She moved closer to check his condition. <em> Dead </em>. It took a couple of attempts for Rachel to holster her weapon with shaking hands. She looked at the water that was beginning to settle down. Sloane and the other man hadn’t surfaced. She jumped down to Max and Chloe in the boat. "Chloe!"</p>
<p>Rachel knelt and pulled back on Chloe’s shoulder, placing her on the deck and on her side. She leaned down and saw Chloe slowly blink, then looked at Max, blotted in Chloe's blood. The Lieutenant stood up. "Max, keep her on her side." She stepped to the side of the boat and leaned over, scanning the water for movement.</p>
<p>"Lieutenant!" Steph called out from behind her.</p>
<p>Rachel turned with Max and looked up to see the response team from The Chase with weapons drawn, standing on the pier.</p>
<p>Rachel pointed, "Sloane went into the water, taking one of the guys with her, she hasn’t resu-" Sloane popped up from the surface, enraged and mumbling curse words with Frank’s unconscious body in tow.</p>
<p>-------------------</p>
<p>For the next few hours, the once-abandoned warehouse was teeming with local police and U.S Coast Guard officers, after there were reports of gunfire. Ambulances arrived as two crew members of The Chase were administering CPR to the man that had attacked Max. He went to the hospital under police guard, still unconscious. Chloe had gone as well where she would spend two days for tests and observation under the watch of two doctors; one medical and one worried archaeologist.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rachel, Sloane, Max and The Chase response crew were brought in for questioning. Before the police arrived, Victoria had given them directions as to what they were going to say to the authorities. Then and there, Rachel had been hauled into the secret of what had been kept from her. She had asked Victoria quietly, 'why not just make the map public?' Victoria warned that, from experience, the more people that knew about it, which now more did, that there could be more threats or worse. ‘People will go to great lengths for money.’ She was told.</p>
<p>The story would stay the same. The only change was there would be no mention of the map. Instead, Victoria had another crew member via the water show up in less than ten minutes with one of their finds they’d discovered during the excavation, a diamond necklace. "This is what these two were after, recovered jewelry." The blonde stated. It was a convenient cover.</p>
<p>Damon was dead and Frank was still unconscious. When and if he became conscious again, Frank would be questioned. Victoria took the gamble that he would not mention the map to the police, fearful of what his employer would do to him or if he had a family what would be done to them if he spoke. Her gamble, for the moment, had paid off, as Frank went into a coma that evening.</p>
<p>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Rachel was set to return to her watch duty onboard The Chase the next day. From what had occurred she was once again taken off the assignment. The Coast Guard Investigative Service was called up from California to start their own investigation of her actions. She followed protocols and saw a therapist where they talked about her taking a life. Rachel’s shooting was deemed justified concerning Damon Merrick, a local drug dealer. She wouldn’t be charged and she would stay on desk detail until she completed the mandatory therapy sessions. At the end of the month she was notified that she was clear to go back to active work. Rachel's emotions were all over the place, even with the mandatory therapy sessions, which did help her through the guilt of taking a life. However, she had been holding onto the information that she had lied to authorities over a piece of paper. If found out, she would lose everything she had worked for. Sleep was hard to achieve and the stress of if she would be found out ate at her. During the CGIS investigation, she was told not to interact with the crew of The Chase and not speak with anyone at her work about the event. Commander Madsen had to be reminded on two different occasions to follow protocols by one CGIS officer and stop asking his Lieutenant what happened. </p>
<p>Every day Rachel would watch the crew of The Chase, wanting to go onboard just to talk, or randomly 'bump' into them somewhere in town. She had texted Sloane many times just to delete the message before she hit the send button, to follow protocol. She wished the woman would text her. The Lieutenant noticed the crew hadn’t left the vessel much. Someone she didn’t recognize would do some small pickups around town int he beat-up truck, and Sloane seemed to no longer spend any time at the local dive bars or restaurants. In fact, none of the crew did; it seemed that they were given orders to stay onboard unless they had explicit permission to leave. There were some nights during Rachel's shifts she'd watch the empty decks except for one person sitting towards the shoreline with their submersible and a guitar. <em> Text me… please</em>.</p>
<p>When Rachel was cleared of her actions, she thought that someone would stop by or text, but no one from The Chase came to speak with her. With all that had happened, Rachel was still someone looking from the outside in, and it gnawed at her.</p>
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<p>Another week went by. Rachel was determined to forget about everything for a couple of hours, if just for this one night. The doorbell rang and she opened the door. "Trick or treat!" A small group of children dressed in this year's Halloween pop culture characters and classic monsters stood at her doorstep, smiling and giggling. Rachel smiled back, greeted them and handed out candy. She closed the door, placed her candy bowl by the side table and walked back to the kitchen when it rang again. She opened the door with a smile and froze. There, before her, was a person standing in a shark onesie with their head down, holding up a container of donuts. Sloane looked up through the mouth of the onesie with a smile, showing off her sharp plastic teeth. "Nom nom nom, Trick or treat!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Be careful What You Ask For</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sloane, fangless, had unzipped her costume and pulled it down to her waist before sitting in Rachel's backyard. The Lieutenant had lit a fire in the open pit to keep the area warm in the chilly October evening. She had left the bowl of Halloween candy on her front step and let the kids decide for themselves. Either one kid would walk away with the full haul, or they could take a small handful and go to the next house. Rachel walked out the back, slid the door closed behind her and handed a beer to the land shark that was sitting on a lawn chair, sucking on a Tootsie pop.</p>
<p>"I would definitely visit your house as a kid," Sloane said and pushed the sucker to the side of her cheek. "You got the good candy."</p>
<p>Rachel chuckled and sat down next to Sloane. "It's all in my plan; I'm the modern-day Hansel and Gretel witch. Lure kids to my home with the best candy and during the night I'll take two kids and make a pie out of them."</p>
<p>Sloane looked at Rachel with her eyes wide and her beer just touching her lips. "That's dark…" She looked away. "I like that," she said with a smile and took a drink. The two women chuckled. </p>
<p>Rachel put on a warm woods flannel jacket. She moved her long, blonde hair away from her neck, leaned back in the chair and put her boots on a stone barrier around the firepit. "So."</p>
<p>"So," Sloane replied, looking at the woman lit up by the firelight.</p>
<p>"How's Chloe and Max? I wanted to visit Chloe when she was in the hospital, but with the investigation going on I-"</p>
<p>"Ah, no worries, really. She probably wouldn't have even known you were there. She didn't with me."</p>
<p>Rachel looked a little concerned but Sloane smirked and clarified, "All of her attention was taken up by a certain doctor that wouldn't leave her side."</p>
<p>Rachel smiled. "Those two have hit it off. Good for them."</p>
<p>"Yeah, it's good to see Price happy with someone and some stability in her personal life. She's recovering just fine, getting tons of attention that she's soaking up. No fractures, just a lot of bruising and one filling had to be replaced. She's been worse."</p>
<p>Rachel raised her eyebrows. "You guys live interesting lives."</p>
<p>Sloane shrugged. "Wouldn't have it any other way. Who wants a nine to five desk job?"</p>
<p>Rachel let out a sigh. "I've been living that nightmare."</p>
<p>Sloane hummed and took another drink of beer. "So I heard the CGIS deemed the shooting justifiable and that you're cleared."</p>
<p>Rachel nodded, thinking about the investigation and stared into the fire. "Yeah."</p>
<p>"Yeah," Sloane said quietly as she took another mouthful of beer. </p>
<p>Rachel looked down and picked at the beer label with her thumb. There was another conversation on both of their minds. The night of the kidnapping, the Lieutenant had been told the short version of what was going on and didn't have time to have her questions asked and answered before the first police car showed up.</p>
<p>The wood shifted in the fire pit, sending up some embers that floated up into the night. The Lieutenant spoke, "You know I have a lot of questions." Sloane didn't say anything. "The implications of what I've done… I'm not trying to make you say that you need to..." Rachel didn't want to finish her sentence, it would make her feel like an asshole. She took the peeled label from under her thumb, tossed it into the fire and then looked at Sloane. The brunette was already giving her an intense stare, or was it a warning? Rachel didn't know if Sloane was going to finish her sentence for her... <em> I deserve to be told the truth for what I've done</em>.</p>
<p>Sloane sat up and tossed her candy into the fire. "Someone found out or thinks Max has a specific map. She didn't even know what it was for the past decade or so. We don't know everything about it…" Sloane shook her head. "We don't know who they are… and why now? Is it because Max has the university down here doing the excavation that they think something is in the area? How did they find out about the map? I don't know… there is too much that's unclear and it is extremely dangerous for people to know about it." Sloane took another mouthful of beer and continued, "The only thing we know is that of the two guys that were hired to go after Max and Chloe, one's now dead and the other can't talk. So, maybe, whoever it is that thought Max had a map, hopefully now thinks that it was just recovered jewelry in the security box and nothing more." Sloane paused again, raised her eyebrows and continued, "And that will all change if this Bowers asshole wakes up. Yeah, he's arrested, but in the hospital, anyone can be bought off. Nurses, doctors, anyone on staff... and if not bought off, threatened or their family threatened to get the information he knows." Sloane paused and took another sip of her beer then looked at the woman across from her. "And you still want to know?"</p>
<p>Rachel was quiet. She was thinking of how to answer the diver to make her see that she was valid to know, to be worthy of that trust. </p>
<p>Sloane further stressed the consequence of the question Rachel never did ask, but both knew. "Even though Vic told you what will very much happen if Bowers wakes up and word gets out?" Rachel met Sloane's gaze. It wasn't a staredown, she was lost in thought. Sloane continued, "You didn't even know about it, and just by association, you were put into a situation that changed your life."</p>
<p>"But I'm involved now," Rachel interjected.</p>
<p>Sloane drove home the importance of what Rachel was asking for, "And you took a life because of it." She leaned over the lawn chair armrest at Rachel, "And I will say it right now, have your fuckin' gun on you 24/7. If you go to the bathroom, you take it with you, you sleep with it close-by. Never be out of arm’s reach of it." Rachel was caught off guard at how Sloane was point-blank with her statements. "You realize that those fucks were going to kill both Max n' Chlo and toss their bodies? Their families would never have a body to bury and never know what happened to them. I know I would never be the same if Chloe went missing... It's something everyone onboard The Chase is scared of when stuff like this happens."</p>
<p>Rachel thought about it and slowly nodded. Sloane continued, "These people, this world… there is no such thing as 'please don't hurt me, I'll do whatever you say.' They already know that. There's no, 'don't move or I'll shoot-"</p>
<p>Rachel's heart skipped a beat. <em> I said that</em>.</p>
<p>"-They shoot to kill, you don't get a warning. They don't care if you plead with them. They don't care if you're married or have kids. You. Will. Die, if they're given a chance or if you stand in their way." Rachel leaned forward and rested her arms on her knees. Sloane's tone was different when she spoke again, "I don't want you to get hurt."</p>
<p>Rachel looked over as Sloane looked into the fire and the diver couldn't give her any eye contact. Rachel didn't know if it was the guilt of already hurting her… she knew Sloane had a thing for her, it wasn't hard to miss, since the first time Sloane saw her and the drunken night she kissed her. Sloane did care what would happen to the Lieutenant and it would affect her if something serious happened. Rachel thought of her parents, of her friends and co-workers, how they would react in finding out she died over a piece of paper.</p>
<p>Sloane turned back to Rachel. "Max put you in a situation where she needed someone and you were there... she trusted you. I then kept you in the situation and because of that, you took a life." There was another pause. "I don't want you involved…” Sloane looked at the fire. Rachel kept quiet, watching the woman as she continued. "But you are. Bowers was already in the water when you approached Damon. He has no idea you were even there. There was a chance for you to get away without anyone knowing. But with the police showing up, you were pushed again into the situation without being given a choice." Sloane looked over with remorse. "I am sorry for doing that. I put your life, your friends and families lives in danger. I put you in a situation where you can be blackmailed, and I am truly sorry for that. I should've taken your gun and proceeded without you or waited for Vic's team, but I didn't, and I left you in a catch-22."</p>
<p>Sloane took a long, quiet, controlled breath of air before saying her next words, "You can walk away, knowing what you know." Sloane placed her empty beer bottle on the stone fire pit and stood. "Or…" She walked next to Rachel and the blonde looked up at her with the light of the fire illuminating one side of her face, "You can become a part of it." Sloane placed a hand on Rachel's shoulder. "But if you do… think about it, Rachel, think about what you would be getting into and what you could be giving up or forced to do." Sloane squeezed the Lieutenant's shoulder, changed the topic and her tone. "I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early, Watchdog. Heard you're back tomorrow." The diver zipped up her costume and flipped up her shark hood. Rachel smiled a little and replied. "Yeah." Sloane gave her a nod, put her fake teeth back in, and walked away as Rachel looked into the fire, already thinking. Sloane, over her shoulder, spoke as she walked towards the fence door, "By the way, I rock socks in this onesie."</p>
<p>Rachel giggled, looked over her shoulder and watched Sloane's butt-fin flop side to side as she closed the large wooden fence door behind her. Rachel's smile slowly faded. She leaned back in her chair and once again stared into the fire.</p>
<p>Sloane merged with some costumed parents and a group of kids walking down from Rachel's doorsteps. She followed the group as they walked down the driveway and the shark eventually disappeared in the sea of people walking around enjoying the night.</p>
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<p>Chloe came out of her sleep feeling the muscles around her left ribs twitch. The area, along with some other parts of her body, she joked, looked like a bruised, old banana; yellow and brown. She took in a bigger breath of air, happily doing so with less pain than the previous day. The diver turned her head, wanting to fall back into dreamland, when she felt something touch her ribs. She lifted one heavy eyelid, waiting for the blurriness to subside and glanced down. Max lay on her side, curled around Chloe's body.</p>
<p>With the tips of her fingers, Max glided her hand around the bruising. Chloe closed her eyes, taking in the feeling of the soft touches in the early morning. Since Chloe was placed in the hospital, Max had never left her side unless it was to go back to Blackwell to change clothes, shower or get food.</p>
<p>Waking up with Max every day was a dream come true for the diver. This was something that she realized she’d wanted in her life. The diver's happiness continued when she felt lips kiss her ribs then continued towards her midsection then upward, between her breasts, to her collar bone, neck and then to an ear. She smiled when she heard Max whisper, "Morning, Leannán." Chloe hummed and wrapped her arm around Max, keeping her body close to hers. The bedsheet was snaked around both their bodies, barely covering them as they laid in the bunk of Chloe’s quarters. The diver spoke with a smile, "You keep doing that, and we’ll go for round three."</p>
<p>Max hummed happily, nuzzling into Chloe more. Her hand still traveled around Chloe's body, touching her. "I wish, but I have to get up. I have a meeting with Warren and Mark this morning about the latest finds, and you-"</p>
<p>"Get to watch others work," Chloe said apathetically. For the first week of recovery, she’d loved the time off. Chloe had spent most of it with Max, watching and learning what the archaeologist did during her time with other university students and assistants. In the second week, Chloe didn't like to be idle, she needed something to distract her but she couldn't distract Max from her job. On deck, Chloe kept their relationship professional, but out of sight from the crew she felt like a teen again, sneaking around to spend a few minutes with the beautiful woman in her life. Someone she was falling fast for.</p>
<p>Max glided her hand across Chloe's collar bone, kissed her lower neck and asked, "How much longer till you're cleared to go back in the water? Not that I don't like seeing you on deck."</p>
<p>"I have another assessment before lunch. Feeling much better though, so fingers crossed."</p>
<p>Max hummed and smiled as she spoke, "Well, your endurance is very strong."</p>
<p>With her eyes closed, Chloe chuckled, cuddled more into Max and kissed her on the forehead. "Well, I do have to keep it up for my job."</p>
<p>Max rolled over onto Chloe, straddled her and kissed around the diver's neck. She leaned upward, then kissed Chloe's lips slowly, and Chloe's hands automatically went to the woman's hips. Max slipped one of her legs in between Chloe's and sat up. She looked down with messy hair and a tiny smile. "As your other doctor, I think you need to do your morning physio."</p>
<p>Chloe smiled as she felt Max's hand travel up her ribs to her breasts. The auburn leaned down and kissed Chloe again as she rolled her hips forward. The diver let out a little moan then smiled into the kiss. "I really, really like this morning physio workout thing." </p>
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<p>Chloe was out on the deck at the end of her short shift, completing some maintenance and safety checks on her equipment.</p>
<p>"Hey, mind if I sit?" The Lieutenant asked, standing behind the bench. Chloe looked over her shoulder and smirked up at the woman. "Take a seat, Pete."</p>
<p>"Thanks." Rachel tucked her hands into her coat pockets. "It's getting colder by the day." Chloe hummed, looking up from her helmet and towards the water's horizon. "Yeah, had to wear another layer this morning. They're gonna have to start warming up our air to keep us warm down below."</p>
<p>Both women were quiet for a while, just taking in each other's company.</p>
<p>"Happy to be back in the water?" Rachel asked.</p>
<p>"Yeah, it was nice to be around Max and watch her work for a bit, but yeah, definitely happy to be back to work."</p>
<p>There was another pause. "Can I ask you a question?" Rachel asked, looking out over the water. Chloe hummed for her to continue. "With all the excavations you've done involving treasure or important finds, everything you’ve done, was it worth it?"</p>
<p>Chloe was quiet for a while, thinking. It wasn't an easy question to answer. "My first excavation, in fact, it was mine, Sloane’s, Steph's and Vic's, we were about three months out of the service. We had a job in Guadeloupe in the Caribbean sea, where we were hired by Politecnico di Torino University. Everything was amazing. Working in the Caribbean, first job out of the service, there was a new freedom for all of us. We excavated the area and found lost artifacts worth a lot of money. It was sold to a museum and part of the money went back into Guadeloupe Island, which was used to build schools and help hospitals. The money went to good use." Chloe stopped her work and looked out over the horizon. "I was hooked, it's an adventure, a sense of discovery, helping others, in a way, y'know? It's satisfying." Chloe paused for a moment and her brow furrowed a little. "But not every excavation is rewarding, it can be the exact opposite. Your life, as you know it, can be in danger. There have been a few excavations where we just quit because it was too dangerous for everyone involved… or there were deaths. It can change your life and almost leave you empty and broken."</p>
<p>"Is… that what happened in Haiti?" Rachel quietly asked.</p>
<p>Chloe stared off for a moment upon hearing the word ‘Haiti’ again and she nodded. "We were to meet someone on board who had some information... I don't want to get into it, but, yeah, we discovered something... bad... Sloane hides it pretty well through joking around and trying to be happy, but she's still struggling with it after two years. We have gone through all the scenarios of her decision, asking three combat captains to go over what happened. All of them agreed that Sloane made the correct decision. Choosing the many over the few first, there was no way Sloane could physically get that door open." Chloe looked down at her equipment. "We were not part of the recovery crew; Victoria kept us… Sloane, away. We found out that the container door was pushed forward before we came on board. They were feeding the women through a small hole in the side of the container. You would've needed heavy equipment or a cutting tool to open it up, which would've taken time. There was nothing that she could've done. Sloane has to accept that, she couldn't change what was going to happen, it was an inevitable outcome. It was heart-wrenching that she saw children die." Chloe replaced an o-ring in her helmet as she continued, "We've all had hard issues to go through because we pushed the limit. Vic has made decisions that I know she regrets because it put people's lives in danger, and one led to a crew member's death. I had a university student as a dive partner for one excavation. One night he stole diving equipment and went to the site. He was hiding coins that he'd found and was going to sell them on the black market. He got lost in the water at night and ran out of air, panicked and didn't decompress. His remains were found a week later by an elderly couple sailing off the coast. I blamed myself for a while because I should've seen what he was doing or seen the signs of his greed." Chloe tossed a cleaning rag into her toolbox. "Which leads me to say... that some people can become obsessed. No matter how many times it has been said that the treasure or the find will never be ours, people will still try to steal and make money on the side. It can take years, decades, centuries to find a treasure, and a family can be destroyed. Steph and her family... she almost lost them because she was spending too much time away from her wife and kid. Friendships can be lost. I've seen people empty their bank accounts all for the sake of recognition, or, like I said, to sell their finds off the black market only to get caught or to give it back to the correct country and hope they will give you a finders fee. You also have to have the sense that sometimes it will remain a mystery. It's something that can't be solved, and your friends and family, your well-being, is more important than a fucking treasure."</p>
<p>Rachel looked out at the horizon and both were quiet once again.</p>
<p>"Hey peeps, look what I found," Sloane said as she walked up behind them. Both women turned around to see the woman with her hand behind her back and a big smile. "Maxie and Boss Lady said I could keep it." </p>
<p>Chloe smiled. "What is your great find, my Guppy?"</p>
<p>Sloane made a happy hum and showed them. "Pretty cool, huh? It might be one from the 1940s."</p>
<p>Both women looked at a worn Coca-Cola bottle. "It was pocketed in some rocks that the current and sand couldn’t get at." Sloane held it up to look through the thick glass. "Not in bad shape for almost an eighty-year-old bottle."</p>
<p>Chloe looked at Rachel, who was confused, and she smiled. "One's person's junk..." She looked up at a happy Sloane, "is another person's treasure." Rachel looked at Chloe and smiled.</p>
<p>"I'm gonna put it with my others; this is an awesome day," Sloane said and walked away with Rachel giggling at how happy she was.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Max sat heavily down next to Rachel and Chloe. Chloe smiled at what Max was wearing. "There's my beautiful girl." Max looked over at her as Rachel chuckled. The archaeologist wore waterproof overalls, a black watch cap and waterproof work gloves. "I am sooo tired." Max put her head on Rachel's shoulder.</p>
<p>"Long day?" The Lieutenant asked.</p>
<p>"Auuuh, we found a lot today. Sloane is like a bloodhound." The three women chuckled.</p>
<p>Chloe smirked, "She showed us her little treasure that you let her keep."</p>
<p>Max smiled. "Yeah, I saw her collection. When she showed me what she found, how could I say no? She was like a kid asking permission to keep it."</p>
<p>Chloe started to pack away her equipment. "It means a lot to her."</p>
<p>"No problem." Max sat up from leaning on Rachel. "You figure being around water the whole day I would want to stay away from it, but I can't wait to have a hot shower and wrap up in something warm."</p>
<p>Rachel replied, "I hear yah. Tomorrow I'm wearing something warmer." The vessel's horn sounded, marking the end of another workday.</p>
<p>"You staying for supper, Max?" Chloe asked.</p>
<p>"Yeah, and a shower if it's not too much trouble."</p>
<p>"What about you, L.T, supper?"</p>
<p>"Ahh, no, that's okay. I got stuff at the house I gotta cook up."</p>
<p>"Sure?"</p>
<p>"Ah yeah. Thanks, though."</p>
<p>Chloe stood. "Right, Lady Caulfield, fancy some warm food in that belly of yours?"</p>
<p>"Oh dog, yes, it's been grumbling for about an hour.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. A.k.a Lt. Uuhhngg</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <a href="https://hspano.homestyler.com?m=p&amp;id=94udpvWoDzG9dnKb19kfpd">Panorama of Rachel's place </a>
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Rachel, off from her work shift, got home, took off her wet coat and hung it up on a coat rack. It was raining heavily again once she left The Chase. With the colder temperatures, the rain had a sting to it when it hit her face. With rosy cheeks and feeling a chill through her body, Rachel decided to take a hot shower before starting supper. The Lieutenant emptied her pockets of her phone, keys, wallet, unlatched her sidearm, and placed them on the dining table. She started the shower, let it run to warm up the bathroom, then went to her room and changed her clothes. Rachel walked back into the shower and removed her oversized flannel sleep shirt. Then, before she got in the shower, she put it back on, walked out, and picked up her sidearm to bring it with her into the bathroom.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Not wanting to be out in the rain any more than she had to. Dana, with her hip, closed her vehicle door and walked towards the house with her arms full of groceries, determined to only make one trip. With her keys dangling out of her mouth, she jostled around her bags, trying to get everything on one arm to free her hand. She grunted and mumbled, trying to reach for her keys to unlock the door.</p><p>"Want some help?"</p><p>Dana, startled, turned to see a woman in a black jacket and hoodie with her hood hauled up, holding a food container. "Res Pleze," Dana replied through her teeth and keys.</p><p>Sloane chuckled and took the keys from her mouth. "We haven’t met."</p><p>Dana smiled. "Sloane, right?"</p><p>Sloane smiled back. "Yeah."</p><p>The two women walked up the driveway. "Rach has mentioned you, I’m-"</p><p>"Dana," Sloane said. "She's mentioned you also."</p><p>"All good, I hope?"</p><p>Sloane chuckled, "Of course not." The two women laughed as Sloane stepped forward, unlocked the door and let Dana in first.</p><p>Dana walked in and jumped from fright. There, standing by the dining table, was a tall, hooded person going through a phone. "Who the fuck are you?!" Dana demanded.</p><p>The masked person looked up, surprised, and immediately their hand went behind their waist. Sloane knew what was being grabbed. She dropped her container and threw the keys at the person to give her enough time to close the distance. Dana screamed as Sloane rushed past her, tackled the intruder, hitting them both up against the wall, splitting the drywall, and breaking a picture frame. Sloane grabbed the intruders’ wrist as the gun went off, hitting the floor next to their feet. She grappled the intruder by the back of the neck, kneed them in the midsection, and then followed it up with a head-butt to the nose. The gun dropped as the man yelped in pain. Sloane grabbed his mask and tore it down to see his face. He threw a wide swing that she ducked under and countered with a punch to the face. The intruder stumbled back and grabbed anything in reach, panicking. He picked up a vase on a side table and threw it. Sloane defended herself as the glass vase shattered over her forearm and head. She instinctively shut her eyes and the intruder took advantage with an uppercut to the ribcage and a punch to her face, then shoved her back against the dining table. Sloane quickly brushed her eyes, hoping she wouldn’t get glass in them and saw the intruder running towards the back sliding door. "Motherfucker!" she growled and went after him. She grabbed him from behind before he got out and he turned with an open flip knife, slicing it through the air. Sloane just had enough time to jump back, trip, and land on the coffee table, breaking it as the man ran out the patio door.</p><p>Rachel rushed out from the bathroom with her gun raised. She saw Dana in mid-stride with a kitchen knife in her hand a few feet away with a hooded person on their knees, slowly getting to their feet. Rachel raised her gun. "Don’t you fucking move!"</p><p>Sloane didn’t. She couldn’t even if she wanted to, she was frozen in place. The diver didn’t even see the gun pointed at her or the knife in Dana's hands. What she saw was Lieutenant Rachel Amber, wet… dripping wet... naked... with her nakedness that was wet... Sloane was stupefied. She tilted her head just slightly to the side, unintentionally watching a trail of soap bubbles go down between the curve of breasts to a tight tummy and-</p><p>"Sloane!?" Rachel yelped.</p><p>Sloane, slack-jawed, with eyes that would not even think of blinking, replied, "I brought you wet naked chili body to eat, uuhhngg."</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Sloane once again abruptly looked away as Rachel glanced at her. She sat at the opposite end of the dining table with a tissue shoved up her nose to stop it from bleeding. Her other hand held a kitchen drying cloth with ice to her forehead that had a small bump and a cut from the broken vase. The police had been called and the little home was packed with Arcadia's finest. Sloane had already given the officer her account of what happened, as did Dana. </p><p>The police officer looked up from his notebook and gave a nod. "Thank you, Lieutenant."</p><p>"Yeah, no problem," Rachel replied, letting out a relieved breath of air. The officer looked at the bagged gun that the intruder had carried. "What are the chances this thing’s registered?" He gave the evidence bag to one of the officers. "It wouldn’t be that easy for us." He looked back at his notes. "Ms. Black, just to confirm... caucasian male, approximately between five feet, nine inches to six feet. Brown hair, green eyes. Blue jeans, dark green raincoat with a black beanie and blue latex gloves along with a black facemask. One hundred and fifty to one hundred and sixty pounds with no unusual facial features. Clean-shaven and right-handed."</p><p>Sloane looked away from the blonde woman sitting next to her when hazel eyes glanced at her once again. "Yes, Sir," she replied.</p><p>"Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital?" Officer Berry asked.</p><p>Sloane took the cloth down from her face. "I’ll see our onboard doctor, it’s nothing serious."</p><p>Dana replied, "You have a gash on your forehead."</p><p>Sloane smiled. "I’m sure our Doc will be gentle with me."</p><p>The officer nodded then looked back and forth at Rachel and Dana. "We’ll have a cruiser outside during the night for the both of you. Whoever it was won’t be back; knowing that he barely got away from robbing you the first time, he would have to be stupid to try again." The officer turned. "Alright, gentlemen and ladies, if your jobs are done, let's go." And with his command, the officers exited the small home.</p><p>The door closed and Dana hugged Rachel. "Jesus fucking Christ."</p><p>Rachel hugged her friend back. "We’re okay, D."</p><p>Dana leaned back and held Rachel’s hand. "I never thought that this would happen in a place like this." </p><p>The house door opened and Trevor walked through with a concerned face. "Babe?!"</p><p>Dana recounted to Trevor what had happened as Rachel got fully dressed. Sloane stood by the back sliding door and took out the tissue stuffed in her nose. She noticed there was no secure bar by the track. <em> Seven seconds</em>. Sloane had calculated her time. Rachel came out of her room, seeing Dana and Trevor putting away the dropped groceries and Sloane looking out the back door. She walked up behind the diver, with the woman noticing her. Sloane slid the door open and stepped through. "Lock it behind me." Rachel, confused, did so. Sloane turned and she lifted up on the sliding door two times, rocking the door up from its tracks and the latch on the door moved upward. Rachel looked shocked with Dana and Trevor peeking out from the kitchen, watching. Sloane easily slid the door open and walked into the home. She wiped the leftover powder the police used to dust for prints onto her pants. "You need to get a bar the length of the sliding track and put it in there." She pointed to the door's railing. "You need a minimum of four motion lights for your outside." She looked at Dana. "Change the deadbolts. I'll give you a good brand." She looked back at the Lieutenant. "You should have at least two cameras for your doors with night vision. I’ll give you a brand of that also, along with some security software that will go with your phone. Anyone gets into your home, you will get notified."</p><p>"Jesus Christ," Dana said as Trevor gave her a side hug, comforting her.</p><p>Sloane stepped closer to Rachel. Her voice was low, steady, and quiet, "You had your gun on you."</p><p>Rachel nodded.</p><p>"Thank you for listening." Sloane walked past the woman, who was still silent and knelt, picking up what was left of the broken coffee table. "Sorry about the table," Sloane chuckled. "And the wall. I haven’t gone through a coffee table since high school. We were at a house party, too much to drink, loud music, thrashing, packed crowd, I body surfed and got chucked onto the table." </p><p>Trevor knelt to help Sloane and chuckled, "My brother body-slammed me through one when we were younger and playing wrestling." Sloane chuckled again as he continued, "Mom, oooh man, she was angry."</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Dana didn’t want to stay at home that night until some of the security was in place. She urged Rachel to go with her to Trevor’s, but the Lieutenant said she would stay at headquarters for the night. Trevor and Dana left after a few minutes with her saying she wanted Rachel to keep in contact with her during the evening. </p><p>Sloane stood in the kitchen quietly, reading a text message as Rachel closed the door once the couple left, then turned to ask, "Did someone-" Sloane cut Rachel off by putting her finger to her lips.</p><p>She then picked up the chili container she had brought over off the countertop. "I want you to heat this up and eat some of it."</p><p>Rachel replied, a little annoyed, "I’m not hungry."</p><p>"Yeah, you are," Sloane walked by Rachel, leaned towards the house door and opened it for Steph, who walked through without knocking. Sloane continued with her finger to her lips for Rachel to stay quiet. "You just don’t know it yet because your adrenaline is spiking through your system from the robbery." Steph hauled out a handheld device as Sloane went back into the kitchen with Rachel. "Don’t hurt my feelings, I’ve been making this all day." The two women watched Steph. </p><p>Steph began to move a handheld device around the room, listening through earbuds as Sloane turned on the microwave with nothing in it. "Should only take a sec to warm up. Go, get packed for the evening and I’ll get this ready for you." Sloane held Rachel’s arm for her not to move and kept talking, "Hey, d’ya mind if I turn on the tv? The game’s on and I wanna check it for a bit." Rachel, confused, looked at Sloane. The woman was nodding to her and mouthed, 'Say yes.'</p><p>"Auuh, yeah, no problem."</p><p>"Thanks." </p><p>Steph, by the tv, turned it on, then to the game and turned up the volume. She continued to walk around the home, scanning, then stopped and knelt by a side table and looked under. Her hand went up. She looked back at Sloane and nodded, then continued.</p><p>Sloane stepped close to Rachel then leaned towards her, slightly surprising the blonde of how close she was to her and whispered into her ear, "Put your phone, and if you or Dana have a tablet or laptop, place it onto the dining table. Then go get some clothes for at least three days." Rachel, worried, looked into intense grey eyes as the diver added, "Please." The Lieutenant did as she was asked. By the time she came out of her room, Steph was gone.</p><p>Sloane turned off the tv. "Ah shit, what the fuck, I just got a text, seems that my dive schedule has been changed. Fuck, I can’t get out of it. I gotta get back to get the required sleep." Sloane whispered again into the Lieutenant’s ear, asking her to repeat what she was saying. Rachel spoke, "That’s okay, I’ll head over to HQ now. I wanna have the locks changed before I spend another night here."</p><p>"Yeah, I would too," Sloane replied, taking a quick look around the living room. "Hey, can you give me a ride back to the ship?" Rachel didn’t know how to answer. Sloane pointed with her thumb over her shoulder. "Caaause it's still raining out." Rachel clued in. It was an actual question. "Ohh, sorry, yeah, no problem, I- uhh, yeah." The Lieutenant grabbed her duffle bag, her personal items and coat. She looked around for her keys, seeing them in Sloane's hands.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>
  <strong>TEXTuя</strong>
  <br/>
  <strong>Eliot 🠆 Nathan</strong>
</p><p><strong>Eliot:</strong> <strong>🕪 Live</strong> <em>TEXTuя audio_2Kd52sef</em> has been shared. <span class="u">Click now</span> to listen.<br/><strong>Eliot:</strong> Away for awhile, I may be dirty.</p><p><strong>Nathan:</strong> How dirty</p><p><strong>Eliot:</strong> My face</p><p><strong>Nathan:</strong> Your payment will be transferred to you within the hour.</p><p><strong>Eliot:</strong> Understood</p><p> </p><p>Nathan clicked on the audio link, listening to two women talk with the tv on loudly in the background.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>The two women got into Rachel’s Jeep. Rachel opened her mouth to speak and Sloane stopped her again. Sloane’s phone went off with a message. She read it, then spoke to Rachel before the woman started the vehicle, "Your home has been bugged, there are at least four listening devices in there. Your Jeep was cleared, nothing found, including any trackers." Sloane opened the glove box and gave Rachel back her phone that she hadn’t even realized she didn’t have. Then Sloane put her hand under the passenger seat and hauled out a laptop. "These are also clear and nothing was installed." Rachel simply stared wide-eyed at Sloane. She tried a couple of times to speak, her heart raced, <em> there was someone in my home, they bugged my house, and were ready to kill Dana or me, what the fuck… what the fuck?! </em> Sloane saw Rachel was unsettled, so she got out of the vehicle and walked around to the driver's side. She opened the door as Rachel looked at her, not knowing what she was doing. "Scooch over, I’ll drive." Rachel just stared. Sloane placed a hand on the woman's arm. Her voice was soft and calm, "Lieutenant, I need you to move over to the passenger seat. I’ll drive, okay?" Rachel looked at the passenger seat then back at Sloane. Sloane nodded her head. "Scooch over, Chel." Rachel did so and Sloane got in then started the vehicle.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Sloane parked near The Chase. She turned off the vehicle and looked at Rachel, who was still quiet. Rachel stared out the windshield and noticed Chloe was standing on deck, looking down at them with a rather tall, large, muscular man. Sloane broke the silence, "I want you to stay onboard The Chase until the security is set up in your home." Rachel didn’t object, she just replied with a small nod. "Right," Sloane said and opened the car door. "Let’s go." Sloane got out and retrieved Rachel’s duffel bag. She slung it over her shoulder and walked around to help Rachel. The diver opened the passenger door for her. Then both walked onboard the vessel and the gangway to the ship was hauled up from the dock after them, securing The Chase.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Victoria poured Rachel a double shot of scotch as the Lieutenant sat pale-faced in the woman's quarters. The short haircut blonde had been waiting below deck and directed Sloane to the doctor upon seeing her forehead and dried blood, even though the diver protested that she was fine. Victoria sternly replied to Sloane to go see the doctor and 'stop bleeding on her deck.' The diver still didn’t want to leave, she placed her hoodie sleeve up to her head to keep the wound covered. It was when Doctor Marsh showed up and gave Sloane a look that the woman gave in. Like a bad dog, Sloane was pointed towards the infirmary and told to 'get in there and sit down.'</p><p>Rachel took a sip of her scotch, letting it burn in her mouth before she swallowed it. She stared at the floor, not knowing what to do. The Lieutenant had kept her word about keeping the Coast Guard in the dark, and now she was keeping Dana in that haze of what was really going on, fearing that she would put her friend's life in danger. <em> Oh my God, have I dragged D into this?! </em> Rachel needed support with the information she knew.</p><p>There was a knock at the door. "Enter," Victoria said. Steph opened and closed the door behind her, staring at her tablet. She looked up and nodded to Rachel. "Lieutenant."</p><p>"Rachel, please, formalities can go to hell right now," Rachel replied.</p><p>Steph nodded and looked at Victoria. "I have ordered what is needed for home security. The bulk of it will be here tomorrow evening, the rest the next day. I have two guys that will install everything." She looked at Rachel, continuing, "And I’ll give you and your roommate the rundown of how to use everything."</p><p>Rachel replied, "What’s your company account, I’ll send-"</p><p>"It’s paid for," Victoria stated. "We got you in this damn situation, it’s the least we can do."</p><p>Before Rachel could reply, Chloe came in without knocking. "Chase is secure, the teams will be doing their rounds for the night and everyone is back on board and accounted for."</p><p>Victoria nodded. "Thank you."</p><p>Steph looked at Chloe. "Is Max onboard?"</p><p>Chloe nodded. "Lab 2."</p><p>Steph leaned towards the intercom, "Doctor Caulfield to room 221. Doctor Caulfield to room 221."</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Max stood in Victoria’s quarters, wide-eyed upon hearing what had happened. Steph brought up why she was asked to join them, "Max, I would like it if someone swept your room and your work area at Blackwell."</p><p>Max nodded. "Yeah, yeah, sure." <em> This is all my fault</em>.</p><p>Chloe spoke up, "I can do it tomorrow when I drop you off and have a word with the school security, give them a description of the guy Sloane saw." As her name was spoken, there was a knock at the door. Victoria asked them in and Sloane walked through the door with two butterfly bandages on her forehead. Her arms were full of food as she walked by Steph and Chloe. She placed containers down on Victoria’s desk and pointed at what she had. "I got you chili that we had tonight, really good with some homemade bread that came out of the oven over an hour ago. But if you don’t want that, I got you a sandwich instead, rice pudding for dessert and a tea, thinking that you wouldn’t want coffee to keep you awake. It’s ginger, like the stuff Vic is drinking now. I don’t know what it does, I should’ve checked it out, I don’t know if it will keep you up. I should've asked if there was caffeine in it, unless you wanna stay up, then I’ll get you a coffee or a Red-"</p><p>"Sloane?" Victoria interrupted.</p><p>"-Bull," Sloane finished saying.</p><p>Rachel smiled at Sloane, who couldn’t give her any long-term eye contact. The diver stepped back, giving the Lieutenant space. "Thank you," Rachel said, looking at the mound of food.</p><p>Sloane glanced around part of the room, keeping her eyes off of Rachel’s and nodded like a bobblehead and hummed.</p><p>"So," Victoria spoke up. "You will stay with us till the security is set up in your home. In the meantime, we’ll find you a bunk."</p><p>The words were barely out of Victoria’s mouth when Sloane blurted out, "Shecanstaywithme!" Sloane’s eyes widened. "I mean, she can use me," she squeezed her eyes shut and promptly fixed her wording, "Mine! bunk, that is." Sloane looked at Victoria and scratched the back of her ear and started rambling again, "I can find some other place to bunk, no worries." She quickly glanced at Rachel. "U-unless you don’t like my bunk," Sloane stared off into space, thinking about her quarters. "I can clean stuff out f-for you, which is not a problem, give you a bookshelf for s-stuff too if you have books with you." Victoria furrowed her brow at Sloane and tilted her head, listening to the woman ramble and stutter. Steph hid her smile with her tablet and glanced at Chloe, who was enjoying Sloane’s performance of acting like a dork. Max put her head down, feeling second-hand embarrassment as Sloane kept going on, "I-if, you don’t like my bed... I have a hammock," Sloane’s voice trailed off as she glanced at the woman again, "t-that you can use." She furrowed her brow, thinking, and quietly spoke, "You might need two trees though and we don’t have any onboard..."</p><p>Victoria spoke up to stop Sloane from continuing her fall into the abyss, "Right. Okay."</p><p>Sloane mumbled, trying to solve the issue, "Maybe use Big Guppy's robotic arms to hold up the hammock."</p><p>"Sloane?"</p><p>Sloane’s eyes moved across the floor and stopped at Rachel’s legs. <em> She looks good in jeans</em>. Then they rose looking into confused hazel eyes. <em> Aaahhhh abort, abort! </em> Victoria snapped at Sloane, getting her attention, "Chief Black!"</p><p>"Ma’am," Sloane immediately replied to Victoria.</p><p>Victoria’s voice fell back into her old military role, "I want the Captain’s report for the night, but not before you get your quarters in order for Lieutenant Amber."</p><p>"Ma’am." Sloane’s eyes started to move back toward the Lieutenant.</p><p>"Now, Chief."</p><p>"Yes, Ma’am." Sloane turned and left.</p><p>Victoria looked at Chloe. "I think she needs to see Kate again for a concussion."</p><p>Chloe chuckled. "What, because she’s stuttering or rambling? Oh, wait, was it the copious amount of food she brought up?" Chloe elbowed Steph, who was smiling. "Or offering up her room, and a-" Chloe’s smile widened, "hammock... or that you called her Chief and she ‘yes Ma’am-ed’ you?" </p><p>Victoria raised her eyebrows. "All of the above, and especially replying to 'Chief.' She’s acting… I can’t say unusual because she usually is..."</p><p>Chloe, the wingman, chuckled more and grinned at Rachel. "Think it might have to do with something, or specifically, someone else." </p><p>Rachel put her empty scotch glass down on the table and rubbed her cheek then her eyebrow. <em> Oh dammit</em>. "Sloane... may have seen me naked." There was no 'may have,' Sloane had seen Rachel full-on, dripping wet, in all her glory, butt naked. The look on Sloane’s face was burned into the back of Rachel's mind. </p><p>The other four women looked at Rachel, waiting for an explanation. Chloe held her giggle, wanting to hear it again, and winked at Max, who looked a little confused but surprised. Rachel sighed, "I was in the shower at the time. I came out with my gun." She glanced at the four and continued, "I didn’t think about putting on clothes when I heard the shot. And, ahh, Dana was there with a knife and a few feet away, there was someone with a hood up. I didn't know, and well…" There was silence in the room. </p><p>Victoria simply replied with her eyebrows arched, "Ah."</p><p>Chloe added, "She should be checked for a brain aneurysm then." She giggled as Max gently hit her in the arm. Steph and Victoria chuckled. "You blew our Lil’ Guppy’s mind," Chloe added.</p><p>Victoria teased, "So, that’s why she has a nosebleed." Max giggled as Rachel gave in and smiled, looking at the women as she shook her head, embarrassed.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Rachel stood by herself in Sloane’s quarters. She placed her bag on a footlocker and looked around the small room. It was clean and well kept. Sloane had a full bed and a small table, as well as some space to store her personal things. Her desk had a small stack of books along with a laptop. Rachel looked at the well-used books; there was a variety of sci-fi, fantasy, true crime and mystery, things that everyone would read to fend off boredom on their downtime. She opened a small closet and noticed that Sloane had pushed some clothes to the side for her to hang some of her things, along with clearing out two shelves. She noticed Sloane’s personal products on a shelf and the Lieutenant snooped a bit, looking at what toothbrush and toothpaste the woman used. She looked at the brands like it mattered in some way to say, ‘I don’t use that kind’ or ‘I use that, too!’ She picked up the divers deodorant. <em> Vanilla, blackcurrant, and amber</em>. She smelled it and smirked a little, recognizing it as Sloane’s scent that she associated her with. Rachel sniffed it again before she put it away and closed the door. She looked around a little more, seeing a world map on the wall and small markers placed all over it. She guessed they were places Sloane had been. <em> Wow, she was in Antarctica, twice</em>. Rachel looked at the diver's photo wall and saw pictures of a younger looking Sloane in the military with Chloe, Steph and Victoria onboard an aircraft carrier. Another one of her friends, with arms around each other, piled into someone’s bunk. There was a picture with Sloane's military diver insignia pinned to it. The diver was in her service dress uniform standing next to an older man who wore an older Navy Seal baseball cap. They had the same eyes and the same smirk. <em> Grandfather? </em> There were various pictures of the four women at locations around the world at various excavations. Underwater selfies with her friends, to party nights with the four of them that looked like they were going to regret the next day. Her eyes spotted another of Sloane in full military diving gear looking different, tired and serious. She remembered seeing part of that look when the diver hauled up Frank Bowers from the water. She wondered what that day was like for Sloane back then in the military. As Rachel looked around at more photos she realized that Sloane had lived more of a life than she had or might ever will. The Lieutenant didn’t even come close. She felt a little envious, all she had done was go on family vacations up the California coast and traveled once outside the U.S to Paris when she was fifteen. After her picture viewing, Rachel looked at her watch and noticed that it was too early to turn in. She didn’t want to be antisocial and decided to walk around to see what the crew did during the night, something that she never saw during her day shifts. Rachel took out an elastic to put her hair up in a ponytail and stopped. She looked in the mirror for a moment then fixed her long hair, deciding to keep it down.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Rachel walked by the entertainment room as some of the crew were watching tonight’s game, yelling at the television, "Shooot!" She walked past a lab, seeing two people leaning over a container, looking at something that was discovered, talking about it and pointing to a specific area. Then as she got closer to a set of stairs she heard a child talking. Steph was sitting on a step in a video chat with her family, getting caught up with them. The woman looked up and smiled as the child called out, "Mummy, Mummy, look what I drew."</p><p>Steph replied, looking back at her tablet, "That is a very purple monkey, sweetie." </p><p>"I call him Purple."</p><p>Rachel walked by Victoria’s room and saw that the door was open. She noticed the woman was going over paperwork and scrolling through her laptop with a pen in her mouth. The woman spotted her. "Hey, you all settled in?"</p><p>"Yeah, sorry, I didn’t want to disturb you."</p><p>Victoria grunted, looked at her laptop and took the pen out of her mouth. "Not disturbing, just going over regular paperwork, trying to find a place to get some supplies." Victoria sat back in her chair and rolled her neck.</p><p>Rachel leaned up against the door frame. "Supplies for?"</p><p>"General crew stuff. I can get most stuff online but it takes a few days to get here."</p><p>"Hmm, if it’s just regular things, there is a new SupplyDepot that opened up two weeks ago in Hillsboro, it’s about an hour and a half away."</p><p>Victoria looked back at her laptop and began typing, to bring up the site. "I searched that, and it said that it wasn’t open yet."</p><p>"Probably not officially yet, but yeah, soft open, I guess."</p><p>Victoria let out a relieved breath of air. "Thank you. This will be so much easier now to get a pallet of chocolate. The crew goes through it, well, like candy."</p><p>Rachel smiled. "For me, it’s ordering enough popcorn. I’ve never seen so many people eat so much of it in my life."</p><p>"Is it part of your job to do supply orders?"</p><p>"Yeah, among other things. Our Ensign assigned to the post is off on maternity leave and they didn’t bring up a replacement because the Commander volunteered the work detail to me."</p><p>Victoria sarcastically replied, "Well, isn’t he a nice guy?"</p><p>Rachel replied with the same tone, "Yeeah. It probably had to do with me putting in for another transfer."</p><p>"Transfer to where?"</p><p>"California. I grew up and graduated from the Guard there, would like to get back."</p><p>"More exciting work than in a small town?"</p><p>"Yeah, but I have to go where they place me, you know how that is. I’ve put in enough time that I can now put in a request. The waters and the fisherman have been pretty good this year, only a small handful of call-outs for us, so doing paperwork takes up the extra time. I just miss the sun and regular, steady work."</p><p>Victoria grunted with a tired smile, "Want my job?"</p><p>Rachel chuckled. "With Chloe and Sloane, I think I’ll take figuring out what flares are expired in storage any day than to keep those two out of trouble. Then again, it's alluring to see the trouble the group of you have been into. I’ve seen some of the pictures on Sloane’s wall."</p><p>Victoria chuckled.</p><p>Rachel felt like she was taking enough of Victoria’s time away from her work, so she nodded and said, "I’ll leave you to your work."</p><p>Victoria gave her a nod back. "Thanks again for the SupplyDepot update."</p><p>"No problem." She continued her evening walkabout and her phone vibrated with a notification.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>TEXTuя</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>🚁Dana ➞ ⚓Rachel</strong>
</p><p> </p><p><strong>Dana:</strong> Hey, sweetie, just checking up, how are you?</p><p><strong>Rachel:</strong> Good, trying to keep my mind off of it.</p><p><strong>Rachel:</strong> The security system will be set up in the<br/>       next couple of days. The Chase is paying<br/>       for it.</p><p><strong>Dana: :O</strong> how? Why? You know what, I don’t care,<br/>     cause that shit was gonna be <strong>$$$</strong></p><p><strong>Rachel:</strong> Yeah</p><p><strong>Dana:</strong> Who’s working tonight?</p><p><strong>Rachel:</strong> idk, I’m gonna stay the night on The Chase.<br/>       Sloane offered and I kinda need a change<br/>       of scenery.</p><p><strong>Dana:</strong> Oh, wow, I can understand not staying at HQ.<br/>      The bunks are not comfortable. So did they<br/>      put you in first-class? <strong>:P</strong></p><p><strong>Rachel:</strong> lol, no first class, I’m in Sloane’s quarters,<br/>       she offered to give up her room for the night</p><p><strong>Dana:</strong> Yeah I guess its the least she can do after<br/>      you flashed her (&gt;ꇴ&lt;)</p><p><strong>Rachel:</strong> Don’t you start, I heard enough of it from the<br/>       crew here</p><p><strong>Dana:</strong> The look on her face. Lmao, she couldn’t get<br/>      out a coherent sentence. She’s sooo into you.</p><p><strong>Rachel:</strong> She hasn’t been able to really look me in the<br/>       eye yet.</p><p><strong>Dana:</strong> Probably cause she’s still looking at that bod<br/>      knowing what’s under the clothes.</p><p><strong>Rachel:</strong> omg stop</p><p><strong>Dana:</strong> What, not only do you have guys checkin you<br/>      out, now you have a chick, dammit.</p><p><strong>Dana:</strong> One that is hot and can beat the crap out of an<br/>     armed guy. Freakin' jealous.</p><p><strong>Rachel:</strong> You sound interested, want her number?<strong> :P</strong></p><p><strong>Dana:</strong> lol Trevor is shaking his head and flexing for me.<br/>     Wait, is she into women? </p><p><strong>Rachel:</strong> She is</p><p><strong>Dana:</strong> And how do you know?<strong> :D</strong></p><p><br/>Rachel thought of the night Sloane passed out on her sofa.</p><p><br/><strong>Rachel:</strong> She drunkenly told me one night</p><p><strong>Dana:</strong> Hmmm aljdg[‘po</p><p><strong>Dana:</strong> Srry Trevor tried to get my phone, think he’s<br/>      nervous I’ll get her number<strong> ;)</strong></p><p><strong>Rachel:</strong> omg</p><p><strong>Dana:</strong> gtg someone’s feeling a little sensitive, gotta<br/>     give em some lovin’. Talk to you tomorrow morning.<br/>     If you see Sloane tell her thx. I didn’t say it at the<br/>     time. Love you, be safe, Rach <strong>:*</strong></p><p><strong>Rachel:</strong> Love you too sweetie be safe I’ll see you<br/>       tomorrow <strong>;*</strong></p><p> </p><p>Rachel pocketed her phone and continued down the hall.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Max carefully removed almost a century’s worth of built-up debris off a piece of what was turning out to be a serving plate. She felt the warmth and wetness of another lingering kiss on her neck, followed by her earlobe getting sucked then tugged with a set of teeth. Max whispered, "You know if you stopped doing that I could finish up this piece faster." Arms slowly wrapped around her tummy, swaying her away from her work. Max felt another kiss on her neck, she tilted her head to the side to give access and welcomed the bite that followed. She let out a breathy complaint, "Jesus Christ, Chloe, I can’t concentrate with you doing that."</p><p>Chloe buried her face back into Max's neck and mumbled, "Then stop cleaning the dishes."</p><p>Max smiled. "I have to get some of this done, you guys are finding so much so fast and there’s not enough students."</p><p>"Let the century-old dirty dishes pile up."</p><p>Max hummed into a giggle. The plate in her hands lowered back down into the tray as Chloe again coaxed Max away from her evening work. "You said you wanted to take a shower with me, not go back to the lab and work."</p><p>"I didn’t say I wanted to take a shower with you, I said I needed a shower. Besides, I don’t think the stalls could fit two people and I know there would be a complaint with how long we would be in there."</p><p>Chloe leaned around, took Max’s jaw and kissed the woman slowly, determined to get her to stop working.</p><p>Max was again nearly left breathless from kissing the woman. "ChloEee," she quietly whined. Chloe smiled, her plan was working. Max took her hand away from the tray and wrapped it around Chloe, giving in to her.</p><p>Someone cleared their throat behind them. The two women, startled, turned after being caught. Max lowered her shirt that had risen up over her belly button and quickly fixed her hair as Rachel looked around the room. "Sorry. I, ahh..." She looked out into the corridor and smiled with a nod at the two people walking her way, "Evening, Captain, Sir."</p><p>The two individuals greeted the Lieutenant. They then saw Chloe and Max in the lab and said good evening to them as they walked by.</p><p>Max looked away and curled her hair over an ear, relieved not to get caught. "Thank you." She looked at Chloe, who was still smiling, and tapped her in the stomach to scold her a little. "Chloe."</p><p>Chloe’s smile widened. "What?"</p><p>"Sorry Rach, that was unprofessional." Max looked up at Chloe with a small furrow in her brow, seeing the goofiness from Chloe. She whispered, "Stop smiling."</p><p>Rachel smiled and chuckled. "Oh please, no worries, just didn’t want you to get caught. I don’t know what the rules are onboard, I just assumed."</p><p>Chloe looked over at the woman. "Yeah, thanks, Rach." She then winked at Max. "I kinda lost myself there."</p><p>Max sighed, picked up the tray she was working on, placed it back in the storage area and removed her gloves. Chloe took a seat on a stool. "So, how are you liking Sloane’s quarters?" she asked. "Did she get the weird smell out?"</p><p>Rachel looked at Chloe, confused. "I-I didn’t sm-"</p><p>"Chloe, be good!" Max chastised the woman again. "Stop teasing."</p><p>Chloe chuckled and looked at Rachel. "Sorry."</p><p>Rachel rolled her eyes with a smile. Max took a seat adjacent to Chloe. "What’s your plan for tonight?" Chloe asked.</p><p>Rachel raised her eyebrows and looked at the table the two women were seated at. "I really don’t know. I’m still taking in what happened and my head is all over the place. I’m not sure what to think."</p><p>Chloe hauled up a stool. "Have a seat."</p><p>Rachel closed the door behind her and was relieved to be able to talk openly. She looked at Max then Chloe. "I’ve… I’ve thought about what you talked about, what you said earlier today and what Sloane brought up a few nights ago." Rachel looked down at the table and placed her hands on it and looked up, serious, at Chloe. "I don’t like what my life is right now, with people getting taken, hurt, their lives threatened, my life threatened. I don’t feel in control. It’s like I’m on the defensive all the time waiting for the next thing to happen." Rachel was quiet as she looked down again at the table.</p><p>Max quietly spoke up, "Rachel, I’m sorry for putting you-"</p><p>Rachel shook her head and interrupted, "No, don’t be sorry. You did the right thing." Rachel reassured her, "You did. But I can’t continue to live like this, looking over my shoulder, wondering if someone is going to do something to me." Rachel looked at Max then to Chloe. "Sloane gave me an option and I’ve thought about it… I want to know." Rachel paused for a moment, making her full decision. "All of it, and if it’s possible to…" She shook her head, frustrated and confused, not knowing what words to say, "Find it, or figure it out, or I don’t know... I just… I want my life back and to do so I have to be involved. I can’t sit back and wait. I don’t give a shit about what is found, I just don’t want to worry about who’s watching me, listening to me, or waiting to assault me. If we find… it, the public will be informed." She looked at Max, who nodded. "After that, there would be no reason for me to constantly be looking over my shoulder."</p><p>The room was quiet for a moment as Chloe and Rachel stared at one another. The diver turned and walked over to a small fridge. She moved some Petri dishes out of the way and took out a file folder.</p><p>Rachel was surprised. "You’re keeping it here?"</p><p>"Yeah, Max closed the bank security box and the university opened one that will have a police escort." Chloe came back to the table.</p><p>Max spoke up, "We can place specific items in the bank from the excavation, then the university will have them transferred." Max cleared her throat, feeling uneasy. "After they heard what happened… they, uhmm, implemented a new procedure."</p><p>Chloe sat down. "So the next best secure box is Brooke’s fridge with Petri dishes."</p><p>Rachel grunted, "I would’ve never gone in there."</p><p>"Exactly. Plus, usually, if anyone sees Petri dishes, they kinda get freaked out, not knowing what test is being done and if they should touch anything, sooo..." She wiggled the file folder.</p><p>Rachel looked at the folder but wondered what tests were going on in that fridge.</p><p>"It’s fine, there’s no Bubonic plague or anything-" Chloe said nonchalantly as Rachel glanced at the closed file folder, "-this time..." Chloe finished saying. Rachel’s eyes widened at the woman.</p><p>"Chloe!" Max scolded her girlfriend again.</p><p>Chloe stared at Rachel then started to smile as Rachel once again was teased. "Chloe, Jeeesus, don’t scare me like that." She chuckled lightly.</p><p>Chloe chuckled but winced at a light slap that came to her arm. "Ow."</p><p>"Stop scaring her, she’s had enough today," Max said.</p><p>Chloe looked back at Rachel, remembering how bad her day had been. "Ohh shit, right."</p><p>Rachel chuckled again, "It’s okay, I need to laugh. The past while I’ve wanted to talk about it. Sloane had stopped by-"</p><p>"Did you like her costume?" Chloe asked, smiling.</p><p>Rachel lightly chuckled and nodded.</p><p>Chloe continued, "Yeah, she almost fell off the gangway walking down to the pier, it was hilarious. Her fins were waving all over the place to keep her balance. Would’ve been a great photo op to see her floating in the water."</p><p>The women laughed at the thought.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>"-That will guide you home to peace and contentment," Rachel finished reading the riddle, then she looked over the old paper placed in a protective sheet. <em> This is what people are killing for</em>? She recognized landmarks that could be within the Arcadia Bay area. It wasn’t very detailed, she didn’t know if that was on purpose or if the cartographer had no idea what the landscape was or did it out of memory. She pointed to a few locations to reaffirm with the two what landmarks they were. "Why the hell can’t they just tell you where it is or, ya know, ‘X’ marks the spot?"</p><p>Chloe chuckled and leaned back from the map. "Strangely enough, some of them do, but when it comes to greed, people will do anything to keep it to themselves."</p><p>Rachel leaned back and shrugged, not knowing where to even start. "How… are you sure… I mean some of the landmarks kinda line up with Arcadia? But are you 100%? Have you... do you know what this means?" She pointed to the riddle. "Who was W.B? Not that it even matters, it’s not like I would know who he was anyways."</p><p>"William Bancroft," Chloe answered.</p><p>Rachel shrugged and shook her head. "Yeah, no clue."</p><p>"Well, this is what we have found out: Bancroft was also known as Captain Bluebeard, a pirate. He was labeled that when he was captured. He worked on a steamship for the Marshal &amp; Stutter Mill Company during the California gold rush, bringing equipment and people up and down the coast. He eventually became Captain of a ship at the age of twenty. Bancroft left the company, got his own ship and went into business for himself, doing the same job for more money. For sure, he knew the shipping routes, every inlet and cove to seek shelter from bad weather or to hide. He and his crew would invade a ship during the night, kill the crew and passengers, take the gold and supplies then sink the ship far out at sea. Or, offer prospectors a faster and safer passage along the coastline, of which none ever made it to their destination.</p><p>They got caught when Bancroft and his crew were found almost dead from disease. They were waiting out at sea for the ‘heat to die down,’ as it were. But during that time, he and his crew contracted cholera, probably from their own water supply onboard. With bad weather, over half the crew died in a matter of a couple of days. He was forced to get back to land and it's there that he was captured. He and his crew didn’t put up a fight... too sick. When he was jailed, Bancroft asked about his wife and child, who were Native Americans, and not long after he was imprisoned, he died. We don’t know who or where his wife and child were, we can only speculate that it was the Native Americans that were once in the Arcadia or Tillamook area. Arcadia means a region offering peace and contentment; it’s the town’s friggin’ motto." Chloe pointed to the map. "The last line of the riddle is 'peace and contentment.'" Chloe looked at Max for a moment. "Also, Max doesn’t know how her grandfather got the map or if it was passed down through the family line."</p><p>Rachel stared at Chloe, taking in the history lesson.</p><p>Max spoke up, "We also think the line, ‘peer through the ship's window,’ could mean a porthole. My grandfather had a weird porthole that he used as a coaster. It resembles one of the ones on Bancroft’s ship, I recognized it from the model my grandfather and I built when I was younger. The Prescotts own my grandfather’s home and all the contents within it, so-"</p><p>Rachel stared at Max as things fell into place. "That’s what you took?"</p><p>Max nodded. "Along with a family photo album." Rachel looked down at the map, unsure what to say or what to do. A voice from behind her shoulder spoke, "Hey, di-" Out of a new instinct from people kidnapping, beating, attempted murder and now breaking and entering, Rachel reacted by driving her elbow up and backward. Max let out a frightened yelp and Chloe could only raise her eyebrows upon seeing Sloane’s head snap back.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Sloane was once again using her sleeve to stop the bleeding. Victoria was in the lab looking at Sloane and the other women. She’d heard Max yelp a couple of minutes beforehand and had come to inquire only to now listen to a Coast Guard officer profusely apologizing.</p><p>"Sloane has seen war, gone on many missions to where I haven’t seen her in weeks and she’s almost always come home relatively unhurt and safe. Yet, she’s been in your company for less than-" Victoria looked at her watch and continued, "Four hours, and she’s already had someone shoot at her, get a head wound and now another nose bleed with an added split lip." Victoria forced a smile. "Please, stop beating up my diver, I need her for work."</p><p>Rachel apologetically replied again, "I am sorry, she just scared me from behind and-"</p><p>Victoria shook her head. "No worries, you’ve been under stress... but watch your swings." Victoria looked at Sloane as the diver pinched her nose. "Get back down and see Kate. Hopefully, it’s not broken this time."</p><p>Sloane sucked her lip as she slid off her stool and walked away, not putting up an argument. Rachel looked, feeling guilty at hurting the woman as she watched the door close. "Victoria, I-"</p><p>Victoria held up her hand. "No worries, as I said. Sloane just learned a lesson: not to sneak up on you." She looked at the map and took a sip of her tea. "So, have you learned anything new?"</p><p>Chloe answered, "No, we just gave her the rundown of everything we know."</p><p>"Right, well, keep me posted. I’m still not comfortable with that on board." Victoria turned to walk away.</p><p>"I, ahh," Rachel spoke up. "This part..." She pointed at the line and read it aloud, "See the little cancers line that will guide you home to peace and contentment." She looked up at the women. "Have you thought that it means stars or specifically the Cancer constellation?"</p><p>Max raised her eyebrows, interested. "It could be, but it says little cancers, not Cancer." Max's head tilted as she thought. "However, cancer in Latin means crab." She looked at Chloe. "Arcadia is known for its crab season. Maybe it is a specific area where crabs were caught or an area of water that the natives called Little Crabs."</p><p>A voice from behind them spoke up, once again frightening the women, "Or it cou-"</p><p>Victoria, startled, turned angrily, "What did I tell you about sneaking up on people?!"</p><p>Sloane stood in the room. Her voice was weird from pinching her bloody nose with her sleeve. "I’m not trying to!"</p><p>"Why are you here? I said go to the infirmary!"</p><p>Sloane tried to explain as Victoria scolded the woman, "I went down, but Ka-"</p><p>Victoria walked over to the intercom by the door, glaring at Sloane. "Doctor Marsh to the infirmary. Doctor Marsh to the infirmary." She pointed out the door. "Go on, git." Sloane put her head down and left the room for the second time. Victoria turned in the doorway and continued her thought about the riddle, "Also, look into underwater plateaus for the name." She looked out the door and down the corridor, she furrowed her brow and grumbled, "I swear to God I will throw her off the bloody ship. She’s down there watching the game." Victoria grabbed the door handle and glanced back at the women. "Keep me posted." She left the room, going after Sloane.</p><p>Chloe chuckled, "She’s gonna have more than a bloody nose if Vic catches up to her." The other women giggled.</p><p>"I really didn’t mean to hit her," Rachel added.</p><p>From behind the closed door, the three heard Doctor Marsh in the corridor talking with Sloane, "I just left you not less than five minutes ago. What the hell happened?!" Rachel's eyes widened, wondering if the Doctor was going to come and yell at her. Chloe chuckled, "Sloane is like a ninja; sometimes, she doesn’t even realize it. Though, I think she should wear a bell around her neck."</p><p>Max giggled and nudged Chloe. The diver went back to the map. "Back to this, LT, you definitely have come up with something. Sailors, as we all know, use stars to navigate. But we also know that the world is constantly moving and Cancer is not in the same place all the time or seen throughout the year. There’s no date on this map, so we can’t figure out when or where Cancer would’ve been when the map was created... and the riddle doesn’t seem to indicate a time of year."</p><p>Rachel nodded. "So, we can start by identifying landmarks."</p><p>Chloe added, "We need to possibly use maps that were around during Bancroft’s time instead. I can check online to see what I can find-"</p><p>Max interrupted, "The Arcadian Museum and City Hall… well, it’s the City records, City Hall, library, and the museum are all in the same building. There’s a good chance of finding one there or at least the oldest record the town has."</p><p>The two women looked at the archeologist and smiled. Chloe replied, "Perfect! Well, we’ll wait for your home security to be set up and wait for the batteries in the listening devices to die. It should take two days or a little more, and to be safe, we should-"</p><p>Rachel, surprised, asked, "What? You want me to keep the listening devices there?" </p><p>Chloe got off the stool and took the folder back to the fridge. "Yup. Live your life, don’t bring up anything that we talked about. Let them see or hear, as it were, that it was a lost cause to bug your place. Show them that you don’t know anything. Then, about a week from now, we’ll head to the museum." Chloe pointed at Max and continued, "This lady here needs to look at old maps ‘cause of her 'ongoing archaeology dig' in the bay." Chloe looked back and forth at the two women, they didn’t ask any questions. "Savvy?"</p><p>Max grinned. "Savvy."</p><p>---------------------------------------------------------</p><p>She stumbled out of bed late into the night after hearing a knock on the door. She opened it, then simply blinked and stared. The shark spoke to her, "Uhmm, can I sleep with you?"</p><p>Her heavy eyes closed and she forced them back open and stared.</p><p>"I was sleeping in the Fishbowl but it’s getting too cold and I didn’t grab any of my blankets-"</p><p>A fin came up and scratched their nose as it was talking to her. For a moment, she thought she was having a weird dream. <em> Kate told me I was going to have strange dreams. </em> Then her brain woke up a little more and she clued in to what was happening.</p><p>"-or my pillow, I figured that she would want them and…"</p><p>Victoria groggily cut Sloane off, "Are you naked underneath that thing?" Victoria stepped back and let the shark in.</p><p>"Yeah, it’s super soft, you shou-"</p><p>"Keep it on. Shut up and get in bed."</p><p>Sloane hopped in bed and got herself comfortable, with Victoria following behind. With the light turned off and the room left in quiet darkness, a question was asked, "Can I get a drink of water?"</p><p>Victoria opened her eyes and replied, "How about I throw you off the ship and you can have all the water you want in the bay. Shut it and go to bed."</p><p>"But, I'm in bed?" Sloane teased with a quiet giggle.</p><p>"The Lieutenant may have given you a few smacks. I however will fucking gut you like a fish, shut up and go to sleep."</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Rachel rolled over in the bunk, still unable to sleep, tossing and turning. She settled to lay on her back with the thoughts of what happened running again through her head. It started with the noise of something hitting the outer bathroom wall. She had stopped moving in the shower, wondering what the noise was.<em> Did Dana drop something… did she fall</em>? The gunshot, flinching from the sound, the feeling of dread and terror. The sound of two people grunting as something was broken. She almost slipped getting out of the shower and grabbing her gun. The feeling of her heart rapidly pumping, another loud noise of someone swearing then something else breaking. Holding her gun out, seeing Dana with a knife, terrified. Looking to the left and seeing a hooded person slowly getting up off a broken table. Placing her finger on the trigger and shouting at them not to move. Sloane’s wince of pain, then seeing her face go blank, her eyes widened, her mouth slightly open, her eyes gazing down at her naked body. Rachel closed her eyes hard, pushing the thought out of her head. She rubbed her face and forehead, then turned her head to the side, smelling a scent on the pillow that wasn’t her own.</p><p>The room was quiet, there were small sounds of water lapping against the hull. She took another deep breath into the pillow, wanting to find sleep. She turned her body to her side, wrapped her arm around it and breathed in again, long and slow, relaxing. She hauled the pillow against her and slowly rubbed her face into it. The image of Sloane looking at her again flashed into her mind. Rachel quickly opened her eyes in the darkness... the feeling of Sloane kissing her. <em> What the?! </em> She furrowed her brow and pushed the pillow away, along with unwanted thoughts, and turned over, internally cursing as she used her arm as a pillow.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Arcadian Museum</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chloe quietly glanced again at the far end of the table amidst a field of books, nautical maps and charts going back to the late eighteen hundreds. She looked around the library and the shelves of books that hadn't moved in decades. The yellow lights above them shone down, giving the off-white maps a dull, pale yellow hue. She rubbed her eyes, relieving some of the strain, and looked again at the woman sitting at the table's far end. If Chloe's element was water, Max was sea-deep in hers with books, notes and charts surrounding her. She noticed Max had a pen laid on the top crook of her ear along with one in her mouth and another in her hand as the archaeologist made small notes in a journal she had with her. The brunette's hair was hauled back in a clip, keeping it out of her face, but there was a small strand of it that wasn't captured. It hung down along her eyebrow, past her cheek, and swayed as she wrote. Max would curl it behind her ear only for it to fall forward again seconds later and she would repeat the process after she had written a few lines. Chloe wanted to be the one to curl it behind the little ear and then kiss her. She smiled at where her mind was easily taking her and thought of a younger Max in high school studying in the library. Chloe would saunter in and take her away from her homework. Then she would whisk Max away to a corner of the library for some alone time. The diver glanced around the library for a secluded area, wondering if Max went to a private school that had uniforms. Her eyes looked back at the woman, thinking about her in a uniform with knee-high socks and a short kilt that Chloe would glide her hands under. </p>
<p>The sound of a map getting unrolled brought Chloe back to reality with a few blinks. The Lieutenant, standing at the table, placed books on the corners of the map to keep it open between the two women. She rolled her neck to get rid of a kink then leaned over to start another search. Chloe looked across from Rachel to an empty seat with a few opened books. Chloe wondered again what each of the ladies were like in high school. The quiet girl, the popular blonde, the punk and the ghost who skipped off school to get away from work. Before she looked around for the missing student, she was surprised to hear the ghost; or specifically, the sound of her struggling to get the plastic packaging open on a Honeybun pastry. The three women looked up from their work to see Sloane stuffing half the gooey pastry into her mouth. Sloane panicked when she saw the librarian walking towards them. She turned and stuffed the rest of it in Rachel's mouth with the blonde trying to stop her. The two wide-eyed chipmunks paused and turned their backs to the approaching woman. The librarian placed an old census book on the table. "Here you are, Doctor Caulfield. Please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with."</p>
<p>Max smiled, hiding her laughter. "Thank you."</p>
<p>The librarian looked up at the two women with their backs to her and furrowed her brow. "I'm sorry, but there is no eating in the library." Rachel put her hand up to her mouth to try to hide the sugary pastry.</p>
<p>"Tsk-tsk-tsk, LT, eating food in the lieberry," Sloane said, lightly shaking her head with an empty mouth. She looked at the librarian. "She won't do it again Ma'am, sorry." Sloane looked at the delinquent disappointedly. "I'm sure she would say it, but it seems that she put too much in her mouth." Rachel glared daggers at Sloane. The librarian nodded. "Thank you." She walked away and back around the corner with Sloane continuing her scolding loud enough for the older woman to still hear, "...and eating a vending machine pastry, girl, it's gonna go to your hips."</p>
<p>
  <em> *SMACK* </em>
</p>
<p>Sloane held her upper arm, wincing at the pain, with Rachel trying her best to speak with her mouth stuffed full, "Ou-other-uck-aur." (You mother fucker)</p>
<p>The other two women in the room quietly laughed with Chloe adding, "Easy, LT, remember what Victoria said about not hurting our Lil' Guppy."</p>
<p>Rachel moved the pastry in her mouth to the other side of her cheek and glared. "I-on't-air." (I don't care) She worked the food around some more then swallowed and took a needed breath of air, still glaring at Sloane. "Do you want another nose bleed?"</p>
<p>Sloane, also recovering from a split lip, courtesy of scaring Rachel, had stepped back out of hitting distance, still holding her arm and giggling through her nose. She put her hand up to her neck, holding an imaginary pearl necklace, feigning shock and offense, "You're so violent. You need to get that checked out, young lady."</p>
<p>Rachel scowled at Sloane's words and attitude. She was ready for a comeback but winced at the flavor in her mouth. "Jesus, what is this? It's like an oily film all over my mouth." </p>
<p>Sloane smiled widely. "Trans fats."</p>
<p>Rachel's facial expression dropped, then she furrowed her brow and clenched her jaw. "Stop, foolin' around and help."</p>
<p>Sloane slumped her shoulders and rolled her head. "It's sooo boring, sitting."</p>
<p>"Dude, you sit in the Fishbowl for hours," Chloe stated.</p>
<p>"Yeah, but I'm doin' stuff." Sloane mimicked the robotic arms picking up things and made robot noises, "Vrrt, vrrt, vrrt, voot, rrrrrr…"</p>
<p>"How is this boring? We’re looking for..." Max lowered her voice, "a thing that could be a big thing."</p>
<p>Chloe smiled, teasing Max at not saying ‘treasure,’ "Ouu! That thing! Or is it the other thing?" Max's comeback was sticking out her tongue, followed by, "I'll ‘thing’ you!"</p>
<p>Chloe seductively smiled and wiggled her eyebrows. "Yes, please."</p>
<p>Rachel, annoyed that the study group was falling apart, tried to get it back on track, "Don't you start."</p>
<p>"What?" Chloe replied, pretending to be innocent. </p>
<p>"Don't ‘what’ me, you're just as bad."</p>
<p>Chloe pointed to herself in the chair, still seated. "I've been in my chair looking at-"</p>
<p>"Max, for the past half hour."</p>
<p>Max, surprised that she was being looked at, blushed and hid her grin with her hand. She looked back down into her journal<em>. </em></p>
<p>Chloe added, "Well, I'm sorry that there's a cute, sexy archaeologist across the table-"</p>
<p><em> Oh my dog, Chloe</em>. Max tried to force her grin to go away, hiding more of it behind her hand. However, there was no way to hide the blushing red freckled face that felt so warm. <em> It's hot in here</em>. Max kept listening to Chloe, "-that I keep thinking about hauling her away to a dark corner of the library-"</p>
<p>
  <em> Oh, dog. </em>
</p>
<p>"-and see what's under her school uniform."</p>
<p><em> Oooh… wait, what? </em> The last part confused Max and she looked up to see Chloe smiling from ear to ear.</p>
<p>Rachel just shook her head. "Oh my God, get back to work." There was a silent few seconds in the room.</p>
<p>"She's a little high strung, isn't she?" Sloane said, talking to a portrait of a man on the wall next to her.</p>
<p>Rachel looked up and let out a controlled but frustrated breath of air. "Sloane, get in the chair before I tie you to it."</p>
<p>The room was quiet once again as Sloane walked over with her head down and stood by her chair across from the Lieutenant. "Don't threaten me with a good time."</p>
<p>"Sloane!"</p>
<p>Max and Chloe burst out giggling. Max had to cover her mouth with the inside collar of her sweater.</p>
<p>Sloane raised her hands with her palms out towards Rachel, seeing the woman who had her hair down today again, was ready to jump over the table and throttle her, which still kind of turned Sloane on. But the diver slumped down in her chair and looked up at the Lieutenant. "What? I'm sitting. See, I'm back in my chair." She picked up a book and put her head down, reading it as Max and Chloe's giggles died down.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Five minutes later...</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sloane casually called out from across the library, "Hey, Max?"</p>
<p>Max didn't look up from writing in her journal. She hummed, acknowledging Sloane. Rachel looked up to see the seat empty once again and sighed, rubbing her forehead. <em> I should've stapled her to the chair. </em></p>
<p>"Did you know your grandpappy's portrait is on the wall?"</p>
<p>Max continued writing and hummed with a yes to Sloane, "Yeah, I read up on him after talking with Sean. He was Arcadia's lighthouse keeper before it was automated in the late '80s. He was then it's maintenance worker until he retired."</p>
<p>With Sloane's question answered, the room went silent for about five seconds. "Did anyone ever tell you that your grandpappy looks like the dude on the box of frozen fish sticks?" The three women at the table simultaneously looked up from their work, taking a second to understand Sloane's comment. Max furrowed her brow. "Captain… Pollack?"</p>
<p>Sloane hummed with a smile, looking at the picture. "They have the best fish sticks."</p>
<p>Rachel rolled her eyes. Tired and frustrated, she turned her head, looking over her shoulder. "Sloane, we're in the middle of looking through stacks of paper for info, which you’ve barely friggin' done. The only thing you've accomplished is pointing out that Max's grandfather looked like Captain Goddamn Pollack."</p>
<p>Sloane took a step back and tilted her head, looking at the man. "I mean, look at him!" Sloane squinted one eye then asked the portrait, "Are you, like, his twin brother or somethin'?"</p>
<p>Chloe piped in with a smile, "Brotha from anotha Motha."</p>
<p>Sloane pointed at Chloe. "Word." She stuffed another Honeybun pastry in her mouth.</p>
<p>Rachel turned her head back to Chloe, who was chuckling. "Don't encourage her." She looked back at the brunette again. "Sloane, please stop screwin' around and help, this is important." Rachel watched her take another bite of the pastry and quickly scolded her, "And don't eat that here!"</p>
<p>Sloane looked a little hurt. "But I am helping." She looked back at Captain Pollack's twin.</p>
<p>The Lieutenant furrowed her brow. "How? You disappeared for over an hour, ate stale food, and talked to a bloody portrait. How is that helping?"</p>
<p>Sloane explained with a shrug, "Well, one, I'm not in anyone's hair for that hour or so." She then pointed to her second half eaten pastry. "Two, my Honeybun, these Honeybuns are jam-packed with fiber at one gram per serving, which I need to be alert." Rachel rolled her eyes and tilted her head. "And three," Sloane looked at the portrait again, "Cap’n Caulfield Pollack has a cool tattoo on his arm…" She smiled and looked back at the women who didn't add anything to Sloane's statement. Rachel gave up, turned and got back to looking at maps. <em> How can she not take this seriously? Jesus Christ, her friends have almost died! </em> Max, in thought, had her chin resting on her hand at the table, looking up at her relative. "Hmph, he kinda does look like Captain Pollack."</p>
<p>"I know, right?!" Sloane said with some excitement and half a cheek full of pastry.</p>
<p>Chloe leaned back in her chair, stretching. "What's his tattoo?"</p>
<p>Rachel squeezed her eyes shut and screamed internally. <em> Get back to work! </em></p>
<p>Sloane casually replied, "Oh, you know-" She walked back towards the table, pointing to the portrait with her thumb over her shoulder, "it's of a creature that has eyes and a beak and has no business being in a tree." </p>
<p>Rachel opened her eyes, surprised.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sloane sat in her chair and swallowed the last of her pastry, forcing the stale bread down as the three women looked closely at Max's grandfather's portrait.</p>
<p>Chloe repeated the first line of the riddle, "With eyes and a beak that doesn't belong in a tree." She smirked amazed, "Well, holy shit, that's it."</p>
<p>"Wowzers," Max quietly replied.</p>
<p>Rachel could only say, "Son. Of. A. Bitch."</p>
<p>Max stood back from the picture, wide-eyed. Chloe noticed something was wrong. "Max?" Rachel turned her head to see Max's blank face. The archeologist walked back to the table, not answering Chloe, then pushed away books and notes and grabbed a map. The first one was too old and incomplete; she went through a few more, looking for ones that showed more of the towns and land outside Arcadia. Max spread one out as Chloe and Rachel reached the table, and Sloane leaned over, watching Max's finger glide along Arcadia Bay, going south along the coastline past Bayocean Peninsula Park down to the Cape Meares Lake and into the Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge area. She had been in that place with her family and her grandfather before. "There," Max quietly said. The three women leaned forward, tilting their heads to read the location. Rachel looked up, stunned at Max, then back down at the small finger pointing to a state scenic area not only known for its lighthouse but also a landmark called, Octopus Tree.</p>
<p>Chloe quietly remarked, "Ho-ly shit." She took out her phone and started some online searching.</p>
<p>Max spoke, "My family has been there a number of times camping during my summer vacations growing up. My grandfather said it was his favorite place for camping."</p>
<p>Chloe brought up her search results and turned her phone to the women. There before them was an old tree that had a very wide but stubby trunk base with long branches that spread out then up to the sky. Rachel commented, "It could also be the umbrella's skeleton." Sloane and Chloe looked at Rachel then the three turned to Max, who sat down, stunned, surrounded by maps, notes and books, remembering her grandfather putting her up in the tree as a small child. Chloe quietly stated, placing a hand on Max's shoulder, "You found it."</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>The four women walked towards the library exit. Max turned, thanked the elderly librarian for her assistance and inquired, "I haven't been here in over a decade, is there still a campground in the Cape Meares area?"</p>
<p>"Yes, it's still there."</p>
<p>"Thank you."</p>
<p>"You're very welcome." The older lady smiled as Max joined the others.</p>
<p>"So Indiana Max, what's our next step?" Chloe asked, helping Max put on her coat as they walked out the door.</p>
<p>"The tree is about a fifteen-minute walk from the campsites if they are still in the same location and it's about a two-hour drive from here to the park."</p>
<p>Chloe replied, "Perfect, camp under the stars, see a weird tree and look for cancerous things."</p>
<p>"I'm out," Sloane said, stopping in front of their beat-up truck.</p>
<p>Rachel, surprised at Sloane's reaction, teased, "Too much work for you, ex-Marine girl, to hike and rough it for one night?"</p>
<p>"Nope."</p>
<p>"Then what's the problem? I figured sleeping in a forest with a weird tree would be right up your alley."</p>
<p>"It is. But-"</p>
<p>Chloe sighed and looked at Max, "This campsite, does it have modern facilities?"</p>
<p>Rachel chuckled, "Really?"</p>
<p>"I am not a bear, my delicate derrière needs a throne," Sloane replied dignifiedly with her head tilted up to the sky.</p>
<p>Chloe replied, giving her dive partner a light hit on the shoulder, "Dude, you use the ocean as your toilet."</p>
<p>"Augh," Max and Rachel said, wrinkling their noses.</p>
<p>Sloane stated back, "Hey, there's a bajillion creatures in the sea and all of them are pooping in it, adding one more turd isn't gonna kill the ecosystem."</p>
<p>Chloe mumbled, "I dunno, Guppy, the stuff you eat might be considered toxic waste."</p>
<p>Max chuckled, "Uh yeah, there should be a few small facilities in the area."</p>
<p>Chloe turned to Sloane. "There, you can poop, so you're coming, princess."</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>The librarian looked up with her glasses on the bridge of her nose, watching the two vehicles leave.</p>
<p>A voice smoothly spoke over the phone, "Ms. Keaton, to what do I owe the pleasure this evening?"</p>
<p>"Good evening, Mr. Prescott, you mentioned that I should let you know if someone showed up inquiring about... certain things."</p>
<p>"Yes, I did."</p>
<p>"Well, Mr. Prescott, four women just left. They were looking at charts, maps, the history and census of Arcadia and the surrounding area. I only know two of them, Doctor Caulfield from the university and Lieutenant Amber; the other two, I don't know who they were."</p>
<p>"Ms. Keaton, I will have one of my employees come down. Are you able to show them the material they took out?"</p>
<p>"Yes."</p>
<p>"Splendid."</p>
<p>"One more thing, Doctor Caulfield asked about the Cape Meares campgrounds and if they were still there."</p>
<p>"Well, Ms. Keaton, you have given me quite a lot, thank you."</p>
<p>"No thanks needed, Mr. Prescott."</p>
<p>"How's your grandson doing in school?"</p>
<p>"Very well, Mr. Prescott. Again, thank you for getting him into Blackwell."</p>
<p>"No thanks needed, Ms. Keaton, we Arcadians have to band together for us and our future."</p>
<p>"Indeed we do, Mr. Prescott."</p>
<p>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Max stood by Blackwell’s pool in the evening during the mid-week. She smelled the chlorine in the air that she noted was something else she didn’t like. </p>
<p>"I can’t believe you." Chloe said.</p>
<p>Max explained, "As I said, my adventures were book reading and shoveling sand in the park or shoreline looking for dinosaur bones or Egyptian tomes. Swimming… was not on the list of things to learn as a child."</p>
<p>Chloe, in chest-high water, looked up at her and tilted her head. "Come on in and just wade around, you said that you would." Chloe smiled. "Yah can’t just stand there watching me."</p>
<p><em> Yes, I can, </em> Max thought to herself as she looked at the woman in the water. <em> Ooh dog, I so can</em>.</p>
<p>Chloe, reading Max’s thoughts, continued, "Well yeah, I guess you can, seeing as I am wearing this two-piece for you."</p>
<p>Max’s eyes went to Chloe’s chest and the diver chuckled. "If you get in, you can actually touch them."</p>
<p>"Chloe!" Max, embarrassed, looked around to see if anyone had heard her. Blackwell's pool was open to people water training for the evening and one Maxine Caulfield was about to get her first swimming lesson.</p>
<p>Chloe looked at Max’s anxiousness of getting into the water. The timid woman took a step closer to the edge. Chloe warmly smiled and calmly talked to her, "It’ll be okay, I’ll be right here and we’ll only stay in this end, promise."</p>
<p>Max closed her eyes, trying to control her emotions. Almost drowning had given her a new fear. Her voice was small when she spoke, "It’s hard…"</p>
<p>Chloe understood her fear. "I know. We’ll go at your pace. What you went through is not easy by any means, so we’ll go slow. If you become too overwhelmed, we’ll stop."</p>
<p>Max looked over at three people fully clothed, swimming towards the kiddie end. The Chase’s Master Diver was walking along the edge, watching the three. "Keep it up, two more laps!" he barked out. Max watched one after the other doing a flip turn and heading for the opposite end. She took a nervous breath of air and let it out as a wet hand touched the top of her foot then rubbed her ankle to comfort her. Chloe was concerned. "Hey, you still with me, Max?"</p>
<p>Max swallowed and looked down at Chloe. "Uhmm, y-yeah."</p>
<p>"How about we start with something small? Take a seat on the edge and place your feet in the water."</p>
<p><em> Oh fuckin’ Christ. </em> Max’s heart felt like it was going to break through her ribs. "How about we start something even smaller like a bathtub?"</p>
<p>Chloe raised an eyebrow and smirked, "Hmm, bubbles, candlelight, wine and me wrapping my legs around you."</p>
<p>Max's face began to flush through a few shades of red as her imagination took over. <em> Oh Jesus, your long legs around me</em>. Chloe started to chuckle at seeing the archaeologist's blank face lost in a dream. "Too bad the dorms and The Chase don't have a tub," Chloe added.</p>
<p>"Yeah," Max lightly cleared her throat. <em> Holy hell, it's hot in here. </em> "Too bad." Max lightly shook her head, getting her mind out of the gutter.</p>
<p>"So, in the meantime..." Chloe pointed to her standing in the pool.</p>
<p>Max shook her hands to get rid of her nerves. She nodded and glanced around at the people in the pool then to Chloe. "K."</p>
<p>"Okay, nice and easy."</p>
<p>Max crouched down. "Don’t haul me in."</p>
<p>Chloe raised her eyebrows. "I won’t, promise. I know you’re having a hard time with this, sweetie." Max nodded and swallowed again, noticing her throat was dry. <em> Fuck </em>. She slowly placed her legs in the water as she held her breath.</p>
<p>Chloe smiled. "There we go. The water temperature is not too bad here, they heat the pool."</p>
<p>Max hummed and nodded as her hands clenched the side of the pool so hard they turned white. </p>
<p>The diver again reassured her, "I won’t haul you in, you have my word. I’m right here." Chloe placed herself between Max’s legs and her hands went on the side of the auburn’s thighs. "Still okay?"</p>
<p>Max nodded and let out another nervous breath.</p>
<p>"K. Let’s do something else easy, move your legs back and forth. Yah don’t need to kick hard. Just move them around n’ get your body used to the water temperature." Max did so, taking long, deep controlled breaths. She looked over again as the three divers were doing another flip turn.</p>
<p>"So," Chloe said, getting her attention again. Max looked down at her. "You like my boobage from up there?" Max smiled and giggled as she looked, then rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>Sloane flipped in the water and turned for another lap. She pushed off from the poolside and noticed two people dive into the water next to her, starting their laps. The diver continued her combat sidestrokes and looked at the shape of the body close to her doing dolphin kicks underwater as they passed her. Sloane, Steph and Victoria were without Chloe for their six-month training evaluation as she was instructing Max on how to swim. The three finished their last lap of this round and immediately got out of the water, fully clothed and into position to start sit-ups.</p>
<p>"Wow, that’s crazy," Max said, looking at the three on the far end doing sit-ups without rest. Chloe looked over as well. "It’s something that Vic has asked some of the crew to keep up with. There’s a number of us that are part of the ship’s rescue team."</p>
<p>"You’re not a part of it?"</p>
<p>"I am, but I’ll do my evaluation on another day, no biggie." Chloe pointed with her thumb over her shoulder at the Master Diver. "Luke there has put together a regimen that we follow, we have to pass it to stay on the rescue team." The over six-foot-tall Dive Master barked some support to the women, which everyone easily heard in the pool area.</p>
<p>"Has anyone told him his voice is scary," Max said, watching the man standing over the three women.</p>
<p>Chloe laughed. "Yeah, he’s heard that, he was a drill sergeant in the Marines." She turned back to Max. "So, my little otter, are you comfortable enough to come into the big bathtub?"</p>
<p>"We’re just gonna stay in the small end, right?"</p>
<p>"Absolutely. What I want you to do is wade back and forth by the wall from here to the ladder. You can keep your hand on the wall if you need to." Chloe moved away from between Max’s legs. The auburn felt the woman's warmth disappear and was replaced by the coolness of the air around her. "Whenever you’re ready."</p>
<p>Max looked down into the water. "Is it too deep?"</p>
<p>"Nope." Chloe shook her head.</p>
<p>"You sure?"</p>
<p>"I’m sure, cause your head curls into my neck when we hug," Chloe tapped the water line at the midsection of her chest to show Max that she would be above it.</p>
<p>Max smiled at the reference. "K." She leaned forward and lifted herself from the side and got in. Chloe watched Max take a breath as she entered the water just out of fear and instinct. Once her toes touched bottom, she held the pool's side with the water just coming up to her armpits.</p>
<p>Chloe smiled again. "There we go." Max gave her a nervous smile. "Fancy a walk?" Chloe asked with a wink. Both of them started their walk with Chloe letting Max take her time. Chloe commented, "The only thing about this depth is that you get to see all my boobage while yours is hidden underwater-" Max grinned then chuckled as Chloe added, "-it’s totally not fair."</p>
<p>Max looked up with a small smirk, "I’ll have to make it up to you."</p>
<p>"Better," Chloe hummed. "I want Maximum-boobage."</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>After a few little laps, Max relaxed and enjoyed the water stroll while holding Chloe's hand underwater. Seeing her getting comfortable, Chloe proceeded to the next step of slowly getting Max to submerge her head underwater. Chloe began by having Max crouch down, with her mouth just below the waterline to blow bubbles into the water. Then she asked Max to remain there and breathe through her nose with the water just an inch away.</p>
<p>"Hmph, not too bad on blowing bubbles in the water there, Max," Chloe said.</p>
<p>Max thought it was a weird thing to compliment and replied, "Ah, thank you?" </p>
<p>Chloe continued, "But you’ll have to practice more on my boobage later tonight, motorboat skills are important." Max let out a loud belly laugh and people around the pool turned hearing her. The woman put a hand over her face to cover her blushing face. "Oh, my dog."</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>After a few times blowing bubbles, in-between giggling with Chloe wiggling her eyebrow at Max over her blowing skills, Chloe asked Max to hold her breath a few times with her nose and mouth underwater for ten seconds, then stand up. In less than a few minutes after that, Max took her first full plunge underwater while holding Chloe's hand. Surprisingly, Max didn’t have trouble keeping her eyes open underwater. Chloe mentioned it was probably to check out her body underwater, which resulted in Max once again turning more different shades of red. By the half-hour mark, Max was underwater, keeping herself on her knees, looking at Chloe across from her.</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>After they finished their workout laps, Rachel and Dana hung out in the deep end, holding onto the poolside as they watched the three women proceed through their evaluation. The three crew members were taking a required short physical break before they continued. Sloane, with her hands on her hips, took another deep breath, trying to get her breathing under control. Her clothes stuck to her body, giving away her figure. "I wouldn’t be able to keep up," Dana said. "I’ve seen Trevor do his three-month evaluations. The stuff they do is crazy hard." She smirked and added, "Though he does keep his hard body looking nice and pretty." The blonde, hidden under a swim cap, hummed, watching. Dana looked at Rachel and grinned. "Their bodies are tight."</p>
<p>Rachel placed her goggles back over her eyes. "Come on, let’s do a few more. I feel inadequate watching them... think I should change my workout routine and put some more muscle on."</p>
<p>Dana put her goggles back on. "Well, you can always ask Sloane to help you out, judging by her arms and how she roughed up our intruder, she’s no stranger to the gym." Rachel pushed off from the ledge as Dana followed. <em> And toss me to the floor, pinning me. </em></p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>"That’s two minutes! Get back in!" The Master Diver yelled as the three women had their required rest after completing fifty pushups. This time they removed their footwear, went to the water’s edge and each did a Giant Stride back into the water. They each gave the hand signal that they made it into the water and were okay to the Master Diver. "Retrieve!" he barked out. The three disappeared underwater to retrieve their first stage of equipment.</p>
<p>Diving down to the pool floor, they retrieved and put on their vest, mask and snorkel. Using the air in their lungs to clear out the mask of water, they retrieved the next piece of equipment, their fins. Once those were placed on, they came up for air and proceeded with another round of laps.</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>Max noticed the women were underwater for a length of time. "How long can you hold your breath?"</p>
<p>Chloe smiled. "Well, it depends on if I’m working hard, it uses up more oxygen, but if I just dip down and sit at the bottom and relax, almost four minutes."</p>
<p>"Wowzers."</p>
<p>Chloe smiled. "We’ll get you up to two minutes in time."</p>
<p>Max didn’t see the women emerge yet. "What are they doing?"</p>
<p>"Putting on their equipment below, then they can come to the surface and do eight laps of combat side strokes. Another round of sit-ups, then back into the water for more laps, then they do mock rescues on each other."</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>An hour later, Max turned and scanned the pool’s surface. She listened to the quietness of the empty waters as her and Chloe were the only ones left.</p>
<p>"Okay, ready for the next step?" Chloe asked.</p>
<p>"We’re not going into the deep end, are we?" Max looked back, worried, with no one around.</p>
<p>"Hell no. It’ll be a while for that." Max let a relieved breath of air go. Chloe continued, "We’re staying at this end for 80% of the lessons."</p>
<p>"Okay, great, good."</p>
<p>Chloe nodded and stepped closer to Max. "I want you to trust me."</p>
<p>"Oookay."</p>
<p>Chloe smiled. "Yeah, I know how that sounds." Max chuckled as Chloe continued, "I will always have you."</p>
<p>
  <em> Yes, you will. </em>
</p>
<p>"I won’t let you go."</p>
<p>
  <em> Never. </em>
</p>
<p>"You can trust me."</p>
<p>
  <em> Always. </em>
</p>
<p>"Okay?"</p>
<p>"Okay."</p>
<p>Chloe moved closer. "I want to place you on your back and get you to relax."</p>
<p>"I- uhhh..."</p>
<p>"You can do it. You were just underwater looking at me, smiling and waving like a dork." Max rolled her eyes and lightly punched Chloe’s shoulder, embarrassed. Chloe chuckled, "And that’s a dork’s reaction." Chloe put her hands on Max’s hips. "I know you can do this." Max looked up at Chloe and put her trust in her. She took a deep breath and tried to let her nervousness go. Chloe stepped to Max’s side and kept one arm wrapped across the woman's back. "Nice and slow, lean back and put your arms out from the sides. Remember, if all else fails, just stand up."</p>
<p>"Okay." Max nodded.</p>
<p>Max slowly leaned back as Chloe supported her. "Okay, lean all the way back and lift your feet up and spread them out." Chloe helped Max’s movement by lifting her legs. Max nervously placed one hand around Chloe’s shoulder when her ears went underwater. Another quick breath of nervous air was let out. She heard Chloe’s muffled voice underwater, "Relax… relax, I got you." Max kept her eyes on the beautiful blue ones looking down at her, smiling. Chloe, more animated with her breathing, took a long deep breath, getting Max to do the same. Max’s other arm let go of Chloe’s shoulder. The diver nodded and smiled. "Good, relax." Chloe looked ahead of her and then back down. Max felt her body move through the water as Chloe held her and glided them down the poolside, never taking her eyes off her. Max relaxed more. Chloe spoke again, animating her movements. She opened her eyes wide and then closed them hard, saying what sounded to Max like, "Close your eyes." Max took another deep breath and let it out, closed her eyes and felt the sensation of floating.</p>
<p>Chloe looked down at Max as she removed her hold on the woman. She smiled, her little otter just finished her first swim lesson as she floated on her own, next to her. The diver tilted her head to look at the woman before her and leaned down. The feelings and the words came to her, <em> I’m in love with you</em>.</p>
<p>Max noticed a shadow looming over her and opened her eyes to see Chloe lean down to kiss her. Max wrapped her arms around the diver’s neck as she was lifted upright. Chloe held her in her arms and moved them over to the sidewall. Max wrapped her legs around the diver and deepened their kiss. When it ended, Chloe started to kiss Max’s neck. She pushed Max up against the wall, wanting as much body contact as possible. Max let out a small moan at the feeling. She placed her forehead against Chloe’s neck as Chloe’s hands went to Max’s butt. Chloe held and squeezed Max, hauling her closer to feel the woman grind up against her. The auburn let out another small moan and breathed heavier into Chloe’s ear. One hand went to Chloe’s breast as the two came together again in another kiss. Max opened her eyes, yelped, tensing up, and hid her face into the crook of the diver’s neck. Chloe turned her head to see three women standing in the water behind her in their dive gear, looking back at them. Sloane pushed the water out of her snorkel and smiled widely. </p>
<p>Steph teased, "AAAhhh yeah."</p>
<p>Victoria hauled her snorkel from her mouth and lifted her mask. "After you two are finished defiling the pool, get yourselves dressed. We’re celebrating tonight."</p>
<p>Sloane just stared with an open-mouth smile, peering through her mask. She stated the obvious, "You two were gonna have sexy times in the pool."</p>
<p>Steph and Victoria chuckled as they placed their masks back on and swam away. Sloane remained and smiled her goofy smile, looking back and forth at the two in swimsuits.</p>
<p>"Ahh, Guppy?" Chloe said. Sloane remained in her spot, watching. "A little privacy?"</p>
<p>Sloane's eyes widened. "Oh sure, no problem… I'll keep Maxie company." Her smile grew.</p>
<p>Max giggled and Chloe smirked at her dive partner then gave her the finger. "Outta the pool, Guppy."</p>
<p>--------------------------</p>
<p>credits</p>
<p>
  <a href="https://thatoregonlife.com/2017/11/octopous-tree-oregon-coast/">https://thatoregonlife.com/2017/11/octopous-tree-oregon-coast/</a>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Unexpected</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Victoria chuckled as she threw her wet shirt at Steph, "dork." Her shirt wrapped around her friend's head as she stood in the shower, trying to remove her wet clothes.</p><p>"You beyotch," Steph said with a smile watching Victoria ducking out of the shower room.</p><p>Sloane had already taken off her wet clothes, wrung them out in the shower area, then walked back to the locker room in her sports bra and panties. </p><p>Dana was getting her bag together while Rachel fixed her hair in the locker mirror, then noticed someone in the far corner.</p><p>Victoria walked over to the Coast Guard officers, as she caught her shirt that Steph threw back at her. "You ladies up for some drinks later tonight?" She held out her hand. "Hi, Victoria Chase."</p><p>Dana smiled. "Dana Ward."</p><p>"We’re taking some time off for Thanksgiving; we usually get most of the crew together and have a small celebration before some of us head home for a few days."</p><p>Dana placed her gym bag over her shoulder. "Oh yeah, I’m definitely in."</p><p>Rachel nodded. "Sure, sounds fun. A good way to start with a few days off."</p><p>"Perfect." Victoria grabbed her shower caddy and towel from her locker. "Think we’ll head over around seven." She then called out, "Guppy, what’s the name of the place you go and polish the barstool?"</p><p>Rachel looked back in the mirror again, seeing Sloane bent over, looking in the locker and opening her gym bag. "Hook, Line, and Sinker," she replied.</p><p>"K," Dana said. "We’ll be there."</p><p>"Right, see you then." Victoria walked back to the showers with Rachel and Dana saying their goodbyes. </p><p>Dana tied her shoe. "I’m going to Trev’s for supper. You want anything picked up on the way home?" She looked up from her shoe when Rachel hadn't answered. "Rach?"</p><p>Rachel was starring in her mirror, unmoved. The Coast Guard’s pilot stood up and looked at what was behind Rachel; Sloane got her shower caddy and towel as her and Steph talked back and forth.</p><p>Dana nudged the blonde with a small smile. "Hey, what’s up?"</p><p>Sloane walked to the showers and Rachel closed her locker. "Nothing."</p><p>"You seem distracted."</p><p>Rachel picked up her bag. "I’m fine."</p><p>"Sure, you can always talk to me, you know that, right?" Dana glanced where Sloane was.</p><p>Rachel looked over at her friend as they walked towards the change room exit. "I know. I’m good. I don’t need anything picked up."</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Dana waved to Rachel as she drove away from the Blackwell parking lot. Rachel walked to her Jeep and used her fob to unlock the door. She tossed her gym bag across her seat and onto the passenger seat. From behind, she was grabbed and lifted into the air. The Lieutenant yelled, kicked her feet, and thrashed her body to be let go.</p><p>"Rach!" She was immediately let go and the man stepped back, worried. "Whoa!"</p><p>Rachel turned, ready for a fight with her hand on her pistol holster. "Jason?!"</p><p>The man held up his hands apologetically. "Shit, sorry, hun. I didn’t mean to scare you like that!"</p><p>Rachel stared for a second and realized she wasn’t in trouble. She let out a breath of air. "Jas."</p><p>The man placed a hand on her upper arm. "Sorry, wow, I really got you." He rubbed her arm. "I’m sorry." He leaned forward, kissed her on the cheek and smiled. "Are you okay?"</p><p>Rachel, with a hand on her chest, replied with a smile. "Yeah, sorry." She then slapped his shoulder. "Asshole. You frightened the shit outta me!"</p><p>Jason smile grew and he leaned in again for a kiss on her lips. "I had some work in Salem for the next few days and I thought of stopping by and spending some time with you." Rachel stared at the man, she didn’t reply and Jason spoke, "Oh, I didn’t-" </p><p>"No, that’s okay." Rachel’s brain caught up with her.</p><p>"I didn’t realize-"</p><p>"No, sorry, Jas, I’m still kinda out of it." Rachel pushed a smile for him. "Ah sure, you can stay."</p><p>Jason smiled and put an arm around the woman. "Jeez, I really got you."</p><p>"Sorry, someone -thing is on my mind," Rachel quickly fixed her word.</p><p>"Yeah? Tell me all about it then, as I’m cooking you supper."</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Rachel, in bed, rolled off of Jason and onto her back, letting out a relieved breath.</p><p>"Jesus," Jason said, breathing heavily. "I should scare you more often."</p><p>Rachel smiled and lightly hit the man lying next to her.</p><p>"That was…" he exhaled dramatically.</p><p>"Sorry, I was a little aggressive."</p><p>"No, that… that was amazing." He rolled to his side and kissed Rachel’s shoulder.</p><p>"I’ve been kinda under a little stress for a while. I guess I needed someone to let it out."</p><p>Jason chuckled, "Happy to oblige."</p><p>Rachel again lightly hit the man. He rolled over and got out of bed. "And with that, I now have to make a kickass supper for you." Jason put on some pants and left the bedroom for the kitchen.</p><p>Rachel curled up on her side and took in another breath of air. Her smile faded and she started to chew on the inside of her lip, thinking. She looked towards the bedroom door, listening to the sounds from the kitchen. Her attention was distracted again with a message notification on her phone.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>TEXTuя</strong>
</p><p><strong>Sloane:</strong> Psst, hey you with the smile.</p><p> </p><p>Rachel’s thumb glided across her screen at Sloane’s message. Her mind flashed for a second to the diver looking at her naked. Rachel shook the thought away and rubbed her forehead. <em> Fuckin' Goddamnit</em>. </p><p> </p><p><strong>Sloane:</strong> Do you like slippery nipples or sex on<br/>             the beach?<br/><strong>.</strong><br/><strong>..</strong></p><p><strong>Sloane: (☉_☉)</strong> That’s a drink question btw<br/><strong>Sloane:</strong> I’m not asking if you have slippery nipples<br/>             or like sex on the beach<br/><strong>.</strong><br/><strong>..</strong></p><p><strong>Sloane:</strong> Not that there is anything wrong with sex on<br/>             the beach or slippery nipples<br/><strong>Sloane:</strong> Or any type of nipple</p><p><strong>Rachel:</strong> Sloane?</p><p><strong>Sloane:</strong> Yeah</p><p><strong>Rachel:</strong> We’ll see you soon</p><p><strong>Sloane:</strong> K<br/><strong>.</strong><br/><strong>..</strong></p><p><strong>Rachel:</strong> Both, by the way.</p><p>Rachel smiled and turned off her screen. She held her phone for a moment then placed it back on her night table. She closed her eyes and another flash of someone went through her head. Rachel’s heart quickened as she let her imagination take over. She took a long, deep breath and slowly let it out. Jason came back into the room. "I was gonna pan fry the chicken, but I’ve put it in the oven inste-" He was cut off by Rachel, kneeling in the bed, kissing him deeply and grabbed the back of his neck, bringing him back to the bed.</p><p>---------------------------------------------------------</p><p>Brooke sang her heart out upon the small corner bar stage, looking into the karaoke monitor. Most of The Chase crew were before her, singing along in the small pub. She, however, didn’t notice a man standing off to the side, mesmerized by her. Max, at the bar, looked over her shoulder, smiling. "Think Warren might have a thing for Brooke." Chloe looked over and saw Warren, then chuckled. The crowd cheered as Brooke finished her song with Warren cheering the loudest.</p><p>Steph walked over from behind the bar. "One Guinnie for the gal and one Dark n’ Stormy for the diver."</p><p>"Thanks, babe," Chloe replied, taking a sip and playfully winking at her.</p><p>Victoria came over and sat by the women with an empty glass. "Another, please."</p><p>"Aye." Steph walked to the bar's midsection at the soda guns to get another drink. She passed Sloane, who carried a pack of beer and began to place them two at a time in the fridge. An older lady leaned towards Sloane. Sara, the bar owner’s wife, asked, "Do you know how many packs were left of Oregon Trail?" When Sloane and the crew started to arrive, the husband and wife knew they were understaffed. They called their daughter in for help to be a barmaid and Steph, and Sloane offered to help bartend. </p><p>"I saw four if you stacked them all together," Sloane replied.</p><p>"Thank you." She smiled at Sloane and rubbed the woman's upper arm.</p><p> </p><p>Rachel opened the door of the pub and stopped, looking at the crowd. <em> Holy shit. </em> She spotted Max, Chloe, and Victoria at the corner of the bar. "Hey," she called out, grabbing the trio’s attention as she walked into the building. They greeted her right away. "This is insane," The officer said. "I’ve never seen it packed like this before." She spotted Steph and Sloane behind the bar, laughing, singing, and dancing while filling orders. "What are they doing behind the bar?"</p><p>Chloe replied, "Boss Lady here doesn’t pay us enough. We have to get other jobs."</p><p>Victoria smiled, furrowed her brow, and lightly punched Chloe in the shoulder. "Then what’s your second job?" she asked.</p><p>"My job is to sit here and look pretty for this lady here." She pointed with her thumb to Max.</p><p>Max swallowed a mouthful of beer and put her pint glass back on the bar and replied. "So far, you’re doing a good job." She leaned over and kissed Chloe on the shoulder. "Think I’ll keep you as an employee."</p><p>Chloe replied with a sly smile. "I dunno, what type of work benefits do you offer?"</p><p>"Unlimited boob exams."</p><p>The women laughed as Victoria added, "Ah, that’s what you were doing in the pool." Once the laughter died down, Rachel asked, "So what’s everyone’s plan for Thanksgiving?" Steph cleaned up the bar top and saw Rachel. "Hey, you came."</p><p>Rachel smiled back at her. "Hi."</p><p>Chloe answered Rachel, "I’m taking my sexy boss, sorry Vic, that’s not you-" Victoria hit her again with a smile. "-and we’re going to Portland for a few, I’ve never been, so Maxie will be my tour guide."</p><p>"Nice, what about you two?" Rachel asked Victoria and Steph. Victoria answered as her drink was placed in front of her, "We’re taking the plane and some of the crew north to Seattle for them to get connecting flights. I plan to spend every waking moment with my husband, who I have not seen in the past two months. We’re going to my parents for Thanksgiving, so it'll be nice to see them, as they’re never home, since both have retired."</p><p>Rachel looked up at Steph when she answered and Sloane came over smiling. "Gonna spend every minute with Jules and Finn, auuugh I can’t wait to see the squirt, he’s grown so much. I can’t wait to hop in bed with him and read some bedtime stories. I miss doing that." Sloane placed her arms around Steph’s waist and hugged her from behind. "You can always hop in bed with me and read me bedtime stories." Steph smiled and looked over her shoulder. "I don’t think Playboy is considered bedtime rea-" Steph stopped herself. "Never mind." The women laughed as Sloane stepped back. </p><p>"What about you?" Max asked Rachel.</p><p>"Staying here. Was gonna do a small road trip and drive down to California to see my parents, but my plans changed." Sloane opened the fridge to get an order of two beers for Sara then rejoined the group. </p><p>"What about you?" Rachel asked Sloane.</p><p>"Stayin’ here, don’t like traveling on the busiest day of the year." Steph walked around Sloane to fill another order. Sloane continued, "Without a doubt, there'll be delays or cancelations, too much of a headache to travel across country."</p><p>"I can understand that."</p><p>Sloane cleaned the bar table in front of her. "Since you’re staying in town, would you like to-" Sloane stopped talking when she saw a man walking up behind Rachel and kissed her on the side of her neck. Rachel turned back to Jason as he spoke. "Finding a parking spot was crazy," he said. Victoria and Chloe watched Sloane look away and lean back from the bar table. Sara walked towards her and motioned for Sloane to get her four more beers from the fridge. She grabbed them and walked down the bar. </p><p>Rachel turned to see Sloane walk away as she made the introductions, "Hey ladies, this is Jason."</p><p>"Hi." Jason smiled and gave the women a nod and shook each of their hands.</p><p>"This is Max, Chloe, and Victoria."</p><p>Sloane stood in the bar's midsection, listening to the introductions as she placed another drink on the counter for someone. She walked back to the group and Rachel looked up at her to introduce Sloane. Jason spoke, "Hi, can I get two Arcadians, please?" Rachel apologetically smiled at her and tried again for the introduction, but the blonde was cut off once more, this time by Sloane, "Sure, comin’ right up." Sloane walked to the taps to fill the draft order.</p><p>Jason remarked with a smile, "I’ve never seen this place so packed before."</p><p>Chloe replied, "They’re gonna make bank tonight, for sure."</p><p>Sloane finished pouring up the local beer. "Hey Steph, can you give these two to that guy next to the Lieutenant."</p><p>Steph looked over at him, then back to Sloane. "Uhh, sure." Sloane handed them to Steph and then leaned towards Sara, who was hastily pressing buttons on the bar's tablet, trying to keep up with the orders. Sloane grabbed six shot glasses and saw Rachel and Jason walk away from the bar after getting their drinks. She placed a glass back. "Sara, my ducky, can you please add five shots to my tab?"</p><p>"Sweetie, you’re drinkin’ for free tonight." The older lady smiled, looking at the orders that were already filled. In one night, the small bar was going to make what it would take them nine months to do.</p><p>Sloane smiled and grabbed a bottle of JW Black from the shelf and walked back to her group. "Ladies." She placed the glasses and poured up the shots. "A toast." Steph put an arm around Sloane as she did to her and the women lifted their glasses. "To new adventures, new friends, and to the unknown. Cheers." Rachel looked from the far end of the bar as the women called out cheers and drank their shots.</p><p>Steph shook her head, wincing when she swallowed. "Woo!" That set off a chain reaction of ‘woo’s around the bar and more cheers occurred as the next song kicked in, getting the crowd in the mood. Max and Chloe headed for the crowd to dance, and Steph took another order. Sloane wiped down the bar and gathered the glasses. Victoria placed her hand onto one of Sloane’s. The diver shrugged, keeping her eyes on the bar counter as she kept cleaning it. "I should’ve known better. It was never going to happen."</p><p>Victoria squeezed her friend’s hand. "Sorry, Guppy."</p><p>Sloane forced a smirk, stepped back, and said, "You know what they say, there's plenty of fish in the sea." She took another order as Victoria watched her.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>The karaoke contest started later that night. It was a tradition whenever The Chase crew happened to be in a bar with a machine. People entered, and song names were randomly picked. Whoever received the most cheers was deemed the winner. After a few singers, Chloe was called up, and she yelled into the mic with her song as the crowd hopped and danced in place, yelling with her as they pumped their fists into the air with the beat of the drum. ♫I’m not ready to go!♫</p><p>Victoria, Max, and Rachel were up in the crowd, dancing around. Steph and Sloane cheered from the bar, whistling out to her as Chloe finished her song by yelling into the microphone. She raised her arms to the crowd cheering for her, then did a bow and handed the microphone over to Sara. "Okay, ladies and gents, last song of the contest." She hauled out the last name. "Ah, one of my angels, Sloane, my sweetie, come on up." Sloane raised her hands, and the crowd cheered as she made her way to the stage. Sara showed her the song that was randomly picked. Sloane nodded and went to the microphone as the music began to play. "This is an oldie and it's for some of us-" Sloane paused and chuckled looking out at The Chase's crew, "What am I saying, it’s for most of us out there lookin’ for a bit of lovin’ tonight."  Woo’s and wolf whistles were heard as people in the crowd looked for a partner when they heard the intro. Those <a class="" href="https://youtu.be/8Ogk4O_204A">that didn’t, sung along</a>, loud and off-key, swaying with friends. </p><p>Jason took Rachel’s hand for the dance. Dana had Trevor already on his feet and was surprised at Sloane’s voice as was Rachel and Max, who mouthed, ‘Wowzers’ to Chloe as they danced. ♫I know it's late, I know you're weary, I know your plans don't include me♫" Rachel, as Jason turned her, came eye to eye with Sloane. The diver then closed her eyes and continued with the song. When it came to the backup singers, Victoria got up on stage with Steph and sang with Sloane. The three women swayed back and forth, smiling and laughing with their arms around Sloane.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>As it neared closing time, the crowd started to disperse. Chloe and Max left with Chloe’s karaoke trophy of a kid’s pirate hat. The diver put it on her head then stated that she was going after some pirate booty as she slapped Max’s butt and bid everyone a good evening. Max noted to Chloe when they walked out the door that Warren and Brooke left together and wondered if he was also getting some 'booty' tonight.</p><p>Steph had just left with Victoria to get the required sleep before their flight and Sloane stayed back to help clean up. She took another two packs of empty beer bottles outside to place them between the bar and the next building for pick-up in the morning. As she put them down she noticed someone in the dark, swaying back and forth alone. "Rach?" Rachel turned around, unsteady on her feet. Sloane walked up to her. <em> Oh boy</em>. "Easy there, Lieutenant." She steadied Rachel up by the side of the building. Rachel explained, without having been asked, "-Gone ta get Jeepie."</p><p>"K." Sloane smiled and hauled up Rachel’s coat, putting it back over her shoulder. The Lieutenant stepped around Sloane. She pointed. "You ‘member when we met?"</p><p>Sloane smiled. "Yeah, it was kinda unforgettable and only a few weeks ago."</p><p>Rachel hummed loudly with her eyes half-closed. "You ‘member me bringin’ you to my home?"</p><p>Sloane smirked and shook her head, confused. "Not really, sorr-"</p><p>"No? I do." Rachel stared at her with no emotion.</p><p>Sloane, concerned, asked, "Did I do something? Shit, did I barf?"</p><p>"Nope… you kissed me."</p><p>Sloane froze, her eyes went wide. "Wut."</p><p>"Twice." Rachel stared blankly back at her.</p><p>Sloane apologized, "I’m sorry, I-"</p><p>"I pushed you back to get away from me and you fell on the couch and passed out."</p><p>Sloane stared, dismayed. Rachel walked up closer to her with no emotion and Sloane looked down, ashamed at what she’d done. "Rachel…" Sloane looked up apologetically. "I am truly sorry." The Lieutenant pushed Sloane back against the wall and attacked her with a hard kiss. Sloane’s eyes widened in shock as Rachel grabbed the back of Sloane’s neck. Her other hand grabbed Sloane’s breast and the Lieutenant leaned up against her. Rachel stopped the kiss, breathing heavily close to Sloane as the two looked at each other. Rachel went in for another kiss and Sloane kissed back, grabbing Rachel by the waist. Rachel wrapped her leg around one of Sloane’s and let out a moan into the kiss. Sloane positioned her leg in-between Rachel’s and grabbed the woman’s butt, hauling her closer. Rachel wrapped her arms around Sloane’s neck, one grabbed her hair. She ground her hips into Sloane, let out another moan then bit the woman’s neck.</p><p>"Rachel?" Jason called out.</p><p>Rachel stopped. Frightened, she broke away from Sloane, wide-eyed and stepped back, not believing what she had done. "No. I-I, oh God!" She stepped back again. "Oh God!" She walked away, around the corner towards Jason. "Hey you, let’s get you home and back into bed," the man said.</p><p>Sloane didn’t move from the shadowed wall. She heard two vehicle doors close then watched a Jeep drive by. When the street went quiet, only then did she let out her held breath into the cold night air.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Can We Talk</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rachel woke up alone in bed. Jason had left just after bringing Rachel home. He’d received a phone call on the drive to her house saying that a high priority client of his was arrested and needed him right away in Portland. Thanksgiving and being around family members sometimes isn’t the best thing for people. After putting Rachel to bed, he texted her an apology and let her know that he’d turned on the alarm to her home and put the key under a flowerpot.</p><p>Rachel felt the dryness in her mouth. <em> Water</em>. She hurtfully sat up in bed; her head pounded. “Auuh.” She looked to her side table, not seeing her gun. <em> Fuck, I shouldn’t have drunk that much… with what’s going on... stupid. </em> She looked at her phone and read Jason’s message, feeling indifferent about him leaving. <em> Uuugh</em>. She got up and stumbled out of her room, not seeing Dana in the living or kitchen area. The woman’s bedroom door was open with no one in there. She knocked on the bathroom, her voice was low and cracked, “Deee.” With no answer, she went in.</p><p>Rachel zombie-shuffled to the fridge, opened and gulped down a sports drink, feeling the coldness in her stomach. Out of breath, she stopped and gasped for air then winced at the brain freeze she gave herself. “Ooh fuck.” She leaned on the countertop, waited for it to go away, then shuffled to the corner of the kitchen, ready to eat a bowl of Skweekinax. Her stomach tightened in a sickly manner and she opted for a banana, eating it with her eyes closed as she leaned against the countertop. <em> Fuck, I can’t party like a teen anymore</em>. After her ‘breakfast,’ she went to the cupboard and took out a bottle of painkillers. After a few choice words of trying to get it open, she took two. Rachel shuffled again out the kitchen and back into her room, wanting more sleep, hoping for the hangover to go away. She fell back onto her bed face-first into her pillow and relaxed… her eyes sprang open as the memory of kissing Sloane came to her. <em> Oh Fuck! </em></p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Rachel, wide awake with anxiety, sat on her sofa, wrapped in a blanket and staring at her phone. <em> What did I do, oh fuck… oh fuck, everyone will know what I did. People will think I'm gay. </em> She stared at the TEXTuя message that was sent to her earlier that morning that she’d missed.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>TEXTuя</strong>
  <br/>
  <strong>🐡Sloane 🠆 ⚓Rachel</strong>
</p><p><strong>Sloane:</strong> Could we talk, plz</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> She wants to talk about what I did, why… fuck, what the fuck is wrong with me, why? Did she tell Chloe? How many people know? Fuck, I have to work with them. Everyone will know. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Rachel turned off her phone’s screen, not wanting to reply, wanting to just forget it, trying and failing to tell herself it didn’t happen. <em> I was just drunk. Just tell people that you were drunk. </em></p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Dana had come home from Trevor’s just before lunch with her hands full of groceries for Thanksgiving. She had two pies already in the oven and was trussing the turkey. She watched Rachel peel a carrot and noticed that the vegetable was peeled into a thin shiv as she stared off in space.</p><p>“Sweetie?... Rach.”</p><p>Without blinking she hummed her response.</p><p>Dana smiled. “I think that carrot has been peeled enough.” Rachel looked down at what was left of the vegetable, got another and proceeded to the next one, peeling it away to next to nothing again.</p><p>Dana placed her hand on her friend’s wrist to get her to stop and come out of her daze. “What’s up? You’re totally spaced out for the past few minutes.” Rachel tossed the carrot off to the side and grabbed another one. “Nothing.”</p><p>Rachel had told Dana that Jason left when he dropped her off from the pub to go to Portland. Dana wondered if there was something more to it. “Did you two have an argument?”</p><p>Rachel stared at the carrot she was peeling without a response as Dana inquired more, “Something's up sweetie, you’re too quiet.” She rubbed her friend’s shoulder. “You okay?” Rachel’s phone pinged with a notification. Both women looked at the dining table where it lay. Rachel looked back at her carrot and continued. “Want your phone?” Dana asked. Rachel shook her head. Her phone pinged again. She didn’t look up from her task and got another carrot. Dana noticed the anguish that flashed across her face. “Hey.” Then it was gone. “You can talk to me.” Her phone pinged again.</p><p><em> I don’t want anyone to know</em>. Rachel buried her fears and looked up with a forced smile. “Sorry, just out of it, hangover and not much sleep. I keep zoning out, my head is pounding.”</p><p>“What did you eat today?”</p><p>Rachel took a deep breath and let it out. “Banana.”</p><p>Dana raised her eyebrows. “Make no wonder you look like a zombie, you need food, girl.” Dana opened the fridge, took out a few things and put them on the countertop.</p><p>“Not hungry, I just ate the banana to have something in my stomach to take a pill.”</p><p>Dana chuckled lightly. “Last night was fun.” Both ladies smiled. Dana turned again to go back into the fridge. “I didn’t know Sloane knew how to sing.”</p><p>“Yeah, she plays and sings by the Fishbowl.”</p><p>Dana looked at her, confused. “Fishbowl?”</p><p>“The sub on board.”</p><p> </p><p><em> *Ping* </em> Rachel again looked at her phone. <em> Please stop. </em></p><p> </p><p>Dana continued to make herself busy with preparing food and giggled, “Ahh, now it makes sense. Guppy in her Fishbowl.”</p><p>Rachel smiled a little.</p><p>Dana looked at Rachel again, still worried. “Hon, go take a bath, I got this.” Dana rubbed Rachels’ back. “You should’ve slept more. I’ll get Trev to come over and help out, no biggie.” Dana looked at the table with the two pies on it. “Though I may have to hide the two pies or they will be inhaled within minutes of him seeing them.”</p><p>Rachel smiled and lightly chuckled. “Thanks.” She washed her hands and walked over to her phone and went into the bathroom. She sat down on the tub ledge and touched her screen to activate it, checking her messages.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>TEXTuя</strong>
  <br/>
  <strong>⚖️Jason 🠆 ⚓Rachel</strong>
</p><p><strong>Jas:</strong> Hey you. just checking in<br/><strong>.</strong><br/><strong>..</strong><br/><strong>Jas:</strong> Sorry about leaving at the last minute again<br/><strong>.</strong><br/><strong>Jas:</strong> Maybe I can take you out again next time I’m in town<br/>.<br/><strong>Jas:</strong> I’ll call beforehand, don’t want to scare you again… Or do I <strong>;D</strong></p><p> </p><p>Rachel let out a relieved breath of air. She gave a quick response saying that she was still alive and closed his conversation. In her conversation list was Sloane’s unanswered message... <em> if I don’t answer, it’ll get worse</em>. Rachel typed something quick and to the point… to blow her off.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>TEXTuя</strong>
  <br/>
  <strong>⚓Rachel 🠆 🐡Sloane</strong>
</p><p><br/><strong>Rachel:</strong> Sorry didn’t answer sooner, got up late, busy today<br/>            helping D with the Thanksgiving dinner stuff. Cooking<br/>            for ten people, up to my eyeballs in food prep.</p><p><strong>Sloane:</strong> Yeah tell me about it, I’ve been peeling potatoes for the<br/>            past hour, who eats this many potatoes?</p><p><br/>Rachel relaxed a little. </p><p><br/><strong>Sloane:</strong> It’s like a 50Lb bag, a small child could fit in it. Feel like<br/>            I’m in prison sitting in the storage room singing to myself.<br/>            Cook won’t let me leave till it’s all done and he’s only<br/>            given me bread and water to eat and drink</p><p><strong>Rachel:</strong> I had a banana and some Sportsade</p><p>Sloane: Heh, hungover?</p><p><strong>Rachel:</strong> Yeah, I am not a teen anymore, my head is pounding</p><p><br/>Her anxiety started to creep in. I should’ve told her I was too busy to talk, fuck.</p><p><br/><strong>Sloane:</strong> Drank a little too much?</p><p><strong>Rachel:</strong> Yeah way too much shouldn’t have done that. I'm paying<br/>            for it now.</p><p><strong>Sloane:</strong> Mistakes kinda happen, like me running half-naked in<br/>            Thailand that one time <strong>:D</strong></p><p><strong>Rachel:</strong> Yeah, things happened, mistakes and things</p><p><strong>Sloane:</strong> So don’t ask?</p><p><strong>Rachel:</strong> I’m sorry for doing that. It was out of line</p><p><strong>Sloane:</strong> I kinda liked the ‘line’</p><p><br/>No, no. Rachel furrowed her brow, getting angry.</p><p><br/><strong>Rachel:</strong> It was wrong Sloane It shouldn’t have happened.<br/>             I'm sorry.<br/><strong>Rachel:</strong> I was stupid drunk.</p><p><strong>Sloane:</strong> Ah<br/><strong>.</strong><br/><strong>Sloane:</strong> No worries, how about we call it even since I<br/>            started it the first time I met you.</p><p><strong>Rachel:</strong> Yeah, please<br/><strong>Rachel:</strong> like I said, it was a drunken mistake, I wasn’t thinking.</p><p><strong>Sloane:</strong> Sure, no worries, I’ll see you in a couple of days with Max<br/>             n' the Dork to do the campin’ thing?🐙</p><p><strong>Rachel:</strong> Yeah, I’m still in</p><p><strong>Sloane:</strong> Cool, have a good turkey day Lieutenant</p><p><strong>Rachel:</strong> You too</p><p> </p><p>Rachel again let out a relieved breath of air.</p><p>Sloane, sitting in the galley's storage room, put her phone in her back pocket, her wishful thinking had come to a crashing end.</p><p>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>On the third day of the long holiday weekend, Sloane met up with Chloe on the pier and tossed her dive partner a hiking pack that she stowed. The two on the docks leaned against the wooden fencing, waiting for Max and Rachel. “Why so blue, panda bear?” Sloane asked.</p><p>Chloe looked at her, disappointed. “I panicked.”</p><p>Sloane slowly nodded. She knew what it was about; when she had asked how the two-day trip went in Portland, Chloe said it went ‘fine’ and the subject was changed. Sloane didn’t want to start inquiring about the subject with others around; she wondered, however, if Max thought that things were moving too fast. As the workday finished Sloane decided to give her a tiny nudge to see if her dive partner would open up. Chloe had the two-day trip set up; she'd booked a nice hotel, they did some sightseeing and dined at a really upscale place for dinner. Chloe had wanted to tell Max that she had fallen in love with her. Later that night when they took a stroll in the park after the restaurant, Chloe, at the last second chickened out.</p><p>“Dude… I...” Chloe sighed then furrowed her brow, angry at herself. “Fuuuck.”</p><p>“Ohh man, what happened?”</p><p>“Nothing.” Chloe stared into the bay. “I bailed, froze, chickened out, I didn’t say anything.” She zipped up her coat then took out a beanie from her pocket and put it on. “Hope that the weather system doesn’t change or we could be fucked.”</p><p>Sloane noticed a brief explanation and the change of subject again. “If it changes we can get the fuck out of dodge and be back here in plenty of time.” She nudged Chloe with her shoulder to bring her back to the subject. “Why did you freeze?”</p><p>Chloe took a breath to speak and stopped. Sloane gave her time to go over her thoughts. “What happens when we finish up here? We… when it comes time, when our job is done?”</p><p>It was the looming question on Chloe’s mind... what happens next? “What happens to her and me? She’s put so much into this project. It’s her first one out of university and as one of the leads. This project will be a huge stepping stone that she’ll need for her career.” Chloe put her hands in her jacket pockets, furrowed her brow, and looked at her boots. “I leave and she stays here.”</p><p>Sloane completely understood her; long-distance relationships were hard for the crew. Marriage was even harder to be away from someone you love. Worse if you had children. When you left them to go back to work, you hoped that things would stay the same as you had left them, that they wouldn’t fall out of love with you because of time and distance. Chloe added, “My contract with The Chase… I still have another eighteen months left.” Chloe was again quiet for a moment. “We can be anywhere in the world, even if I use my vacation time, it’s… it’s still not enough. Voice chats are great at the start but it trickles down after a while. One missed call, then it’s two and then... ‘sorry, I was busy with work.’ Then you notice one day that you haven’t talked in a week and you’re okay with that and you find yourself moving on.” Chloe shook her head and looked over at Sloane. “I don’t wanna move on...” Chloe glanced away. “Not without her.” Sloane, for an instant, saw the hurt in her friend’s face at the thought. Chloe looked down at her boots again. </p><p>“Chlo,” Sloane looked up at the distant tree-covered mountains. “I’ve known you for years… I’ve seen the relationships you’ve had. This one…” Sloane turned and looked at her. “Don’t let her go. Find a way, talk with Vic, see if you can be transferred somewhere else in the foundation.” Sloane was silent for a bit. “But… you know that it has to be both ways. She's gotta put in the time too. You have to understand that you can do everything right, and like you said, see her on your vacation times, holidays, make the trip to see her wherever we are posted… You can have all the video chats, emails and texts… but... it doesn’t make up for the fact that you are not there physically. There’s no, ‘I’ll see you later tonight when you get home from work.’ You can do everything possible to be with her and still have it fail because she didn’t follow through on her end.” Sloane scoffed at her thought, “And then get the ‘Dear John’ letter.” There was another pause in thought, and Chloe spoke up, “When was the last time you saw him?”</p><p>“The day I signed the divorce papers.” Sloane looked from the corner of her eye and saw the Jeep coming their way. She put a hand on the back of Chloe’s shoulders and smiled. “It will be hard,” she squeezed her friend’s shoulder. “If you feel this way for her, fight to keep her in your life and do that by telling her how you feel.” Sloane sat up a little. “Live the adventure.”</p><p>Chloe looked in the passenger seat and saw Max with a smile, giving her a little wave. Sloane lightly smacked Chloe on the back, looking at the occupants. “Don’t let that woman go.”</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Max and Rachel walked up the pier with camping equipment and their packs. Rachel tossed her material to Chloe and Sloane that were stowed away on the boat. Max smiled nervously. “I’ve only gone out in the water in a small rowboat when I was a kid.”</p><p>Chloe stepped back up on the pier with a smile, seeing the apprehension as the smaller woman let out a controlled breath. “Yeah, you’re gonna like this.” The diver stood closer to the archaeologist and looked down with a warm smile. With the back of her hand, she caressed the rosy cold cheek. “Promise.” She leaned down and kissed Max on the forehead. “Trust me.” Max smiled. Chloe stepped back and did an introduction. “SuperMax meet another <a class="hoverZoomLink" href="https://imgur.com/a/mt51Prp"> SuperMax</a>; this girl is a thirty-five-foot grunt of the water. As the lady next to you, Lieutenant Amber, will testify.” The Lieutenant smiled. She knew the boat type in front of her and put her hand up in the air to testify the Gospel to the Sea Gods. Chloe, the carny barker, continued her show and tell, “The Coasties have two in their fleet but this girl has not one, but two Mercury 450 Verados that will skate across the waterline. Nice and spacious rib hull, a cabin that sits four comfortably, why ‘comfortably,’ you ask?” Max smiled and shook her head, not knowing the answer. “Why, because of the shock mitigating seats, of course. So that cute little butt doesn’t take a bangin’.” Chloe stepped forward and put her hand up to the corner of her mouth to whisper at Max, only she did it loudly for the others to hear, “Cause that’s my job.” She ended her show with a wink to the embarrassed lady who chastised her by name, which only brought a bigger smile to the carny and more laughs from the other two women.</p><p>The helmsman of the mini-expedition was picked with a reputable game of rock, paper, scissors. Chloe won and chose to sit in the back across from Max, who was wrapped in the latest cool-weather apparel that was a little too big for her but gave her the extra cuteness factor in Chloe’s eyes. <em> Snug as a bug</em>.</p><p>Sloane started the engines and gave the woman next to her a nod, greeting her, “Lieutenant.”</p><p>“Sloane.” Rachel nodded and curled her long hair behind an ear then put on a warm wool beanie. </p><p>Sloane asked, “What time frame are we looking at?”</p><p>Rachel raised her eyebrow and tilted her head side to side, thinking. “Over an hour, for sure.”</p><p>Sloane slapped the throttle in gear, moved the boat away from the pier and headed to Arcadia’s jetties and then the open ocean. “We’ll do it in less,” she said with a smirk, looking over at the Lieutenant. She pushed the throttle forward and the boat skimmed through the water, pushing the passengers back in their seats.</p><p>Max was wide-eyed and holding onto the grab handles of her seat. Sloane was almost at full throttle when she hit the next small wave. The boat caught some air, flew for a moment and dipped down again to skim the water. It reminded Max of an inverted roller coaster ride. Her body was strapped in and the shock mitigating seats were keeping their travels smooth as they traveled down the coastline. Chloe looked over at her with a smile. “Fun, right?” Max nodded as they hit the next wave.</p><p>As Sloane had predicted, they reached Cape Mears in well under the hour. They docked at the park’s pier and hiked up the pathway to the campgrounds. Max made a note to show Sloane where the facilities were and set up camp right away to beat the remaining daylight.</p><p>Rachel tightened the rain fly as she finished with her tent. Sloane spoke up, “I’m really okay with sleeping in the boat, seriously.”</p><p>Rachel stood up and replied with no emotion, “I’m fine with this if you’re fine with it.” She had a small smile as she picked up her pack and tossed it into her tent. “Like you said, we’re even.” Rachel knelt and went into the tent to set up her sleeping bag.</p><p>“Right, K, okey-dokey.” <em> Even Steven. All good in da hood… I’m okay with the woman that I’ve been thinking about sleeping a couple of feet next to me in a small tent. The woman that stuck her tongue down my throat and grabbed my tit and ground herself into me… and her nakedness. Ooh God her nakedness that was wet. </em> Sloane took a deep breath and looked down at the woman who happened to be now on all fours with her butt pointed toward her. <em> Uuhhngg. </em></p><p>---------------------------------------------------------</p><p>“Wait! You were married?!” Max said a little too loudly, surprised, as they sat around the campfire at night, all bundled up. Sloane leaned back in her chair and replied, “Okay, you are waaay too surprised at that. Simmer down your eyes, you look like a deer in headlights.”</p><p>“Think Rach is too,” Chloe said, looking at her. The woman had a beer bottle up to her mouth, wide-eyed and looking at Sloane.</p><p>Sloane looked back and forth at the other women. “Wow, why is that so hard to believe?!” Then chuckled, whispering, “Ass-holes.”</p><p>Rachel took a sip of her beer with a smile as Max asked, “I… ah, it’s... sorry. What happened? If you don’t mind me askin’.”</p><p>Chloe chuckled as she took a sip of beer.</p><p>“Quiet, you,” Sloane replied with a smiling glare at her dive partner. “Yeah, I was married.” Sloane looked at Max again. “Seriously, Max turn down the volume on your eyelids, you’re freakin’ me and the local squirrels out. The owls think you’re one of ‘em.” The women chuckled as Sloane continued, “Yes, this girl got married. We met in the services, good ole’ eloping, Vic was the maid of honor, cause this one was somewhere…”</p><p>Chloe thought. “Gulf of Mexico.” She leaned towards Max. “See what happens when I’m not around? I leave and she runs off and gets married.”</p><p>“Auugh, If only you had stayed. But, can’t go back in time, so, yada yada yada married life for two whole years.” Sloane took a sip of her scotch. “Then I got a wonderful email saying he f-”</p><p>“He?!” Max blurted out, surprised, then apologized, “Sorry, I thought, s-sorry- Oh dog, I am so sorry.”</p><p>“Anyone, Maxie.” Sloane winked.</p><p>“Sorry,” Max apologized again for her surprising outburst and assumption, Chloe giggled at Max’s embarrassment.</p><p>Rachel grinned as she crossed her legs at the ankles and leaned further back in her chair.</p><p>“Sooo,” Sloane continued, “Turns out he found someone that was the love of his life.” Sloane put a hand to her heart and acted hurt. “He was kind enough to send me an email saying he wanted a divorce. Cut to four months later when I had shore leave. I come home to get my belongings that were dumped in storage. I spend the night in the city, went to a club, got drunk and hooked up with someone because why not, I’m getting divorced and I have to numb the pain. Next day I meet my soon-to-be-ex at the lawyer’s office to finalize and sign the divorce papers and property.”</p><p>Chloe started to giggle. Sloane smiled widely as the other two other women looked back and forth at them. “Signed the papers, blahblahblah. He leaves first, I follow behind about a few minutes later. I see him in the parking lot with the love of his life. Beautiful, fit woman.” Sloane used her hands to motion her next words. “Big boobs. They have a long kiss to celebrate his new freedom. The woman opened her eyes and saw me looking at them-” Sloane smiled at the memory, “-And she froze, eyes wide, kinda like what Max is doin’ right now.” The group chuckled again. “I smile, walk away, and leave them to their new life.” Sloane paused for effect and took a sip of her drink. “I should’ve told her that I found her panties between the nightstand and the bed that morning in the hotel.”</p><p>Max’s mouth dropped open. Rachel loudly and slowly spoke, “Oh. My. God,” as the group laughed. Sloane took another drink of scotch. “Moral of the story… look both ways before you cross the street.” The women looked at Sloane weirdly as they continued to laugh.</p><p>“What?” Rachel asked, confused.</p><p>“If I had looked both ways, I would’ve seen the other club up the street on my side of the road and would have never slept with her.” Sloane shrugged. “Whatev, she came onto me.” Sloane smirked happily, “I like to think of it as Bob Ross would, it was a happy accident.”</p><p>Max let out a belly laugh.</p><p>--------------------------------------</p><p>Max crawled under the sleeping bag with Chloe. She had brought her own but left it packed, wanting Chloe's warmth and touch during the night. She hummed and placed her head onto Chloe’s collarbone. She wrapped an arm and her leg around the woman and snuggled in. <em> My spot</em>.</p><p>“You good?” Chloe asked with a smile.</p><p>Max hummed, “Best spot.”</p><p>Chloe turned off the flashlight, and they settled in as the wind blew around their tent, making the walls shift back and forth. “Don’t tell Guppy, but yeah, having bathroom facilities is a good thing when camping. With this wind-”</p><p>Max giggled.</p><p>“Your butt would get air-dried pretty fast, but you would be covered in dry pee.”</p><p>Max let out a small snort. “Hopefully, it’ll die down by tomorrow.”</p><p>“The last report said that it would turn out to the ocean by midday tomorrow. Don’t worry, though. I’ll tie you to a tree so that you won’t fly away.”</p><p>Max hummed happily and the two stayed silent for a half a minute. Chloe kissed her on the crown of her head and Max caressed her thumb against Chloe’s ribs. Max spoke quietly, “It’s strange, when I think about why we’re here, how everything came together.” Max sighed. “I know its kinda not crazy for you, with the things you’ve done-”</p><p>“Well, Moby Max, just to let you know, watching a girl fall off a cliff, survive the storm waters and live is something I’ve never done before.” <em> Tell her. </em> “Finding a treasure map with actual hidden words on it, never did that. Getting captured and almost killed, I’ve never… wait. I can check getting captured off of my list now.” <em> Tell her. </em> “Never broke into a house to steal an artifact that might help find a treasure, either.” <em> Go on. </em> “And we’re about to go searching for an Octopus Tree that I’m hoping is kinda like the tree from Harry Potter.”</p><p>Max giggled, “The Whomping Willow?”</p><p>“If that’s what it’s called. Dude, if that tree has, like, real tentacles and we have to battle it out, it’ll be epic." Max giggled further. "So yeah, I have done other crazy things in my life, but this, by far, has been the best.” <em> Tell. Her. </em></p><p>“Chlo, you can’t tell me that jumping out of a plane over some country to land in water, then dive deep down is less crazy than Arcadia.”</p><p>“It is because you're here with me-” Max looked up from Chloe’s collarbone, listening to her. <em> Tell her. </em> “-You have been the most amazing, crazy, exciting adventure I’ve ever had.” <em> Say it. </em></p><p>Max had a sad, happy smile. She put her head back down, hugging Chloe hard. “Chlo.”</p><p><em> What are you waiting for? </em> “Spending time with you is like jumping out of a plane every day.” <em> Go on, say it. </em></p><p>Max leaned up and placed a soft kiss on Chloe’s lips. “My Leannán,” she quietly spoke to her into another kiss. Chloe wrapped her arms around the woman she loved. She smiled into the kiss and whispered, “And let’s not forget, hot archaeologist, jumping my bones that night and pretty much every night after that... haven’t had that either.”</p><p>Max seductively looked at Chloe then knelt up and slowly took her shirt off. “Well,” Max said with a sly grin, “I’ve never had sex in a tent before.” Chloe sat up and grabbed Max by the hips and hauled the woman towards her. Max straddled the diver. “Me neither,” Chloe replied, wrapping her arms around the woman and kissing her bare chest. Max combed her fingers through Chloe’s hair, put her head down and kissed her on her head. <em> My Leannán. </em></p><p>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p><em> Mmm... </em> she let out a long, quiet sigh. <em> Hammocks are awesome. </em> She heard the wind in the morning and felt the warmth around her body. She moved her head towards the other that was on her chest. Then smelled the scent of coconut in their hair. <em> I love being in the Caribbean</em>. Her hand glided along the soft, smooth thigh that was wrapped around her body. <em> Mmm, got lucky last night</em>. She started to slip back into her dream of the island girl that she met at the local resort pub and felt a hand under her shirt that slightly squeezed her. <em> Mmm, might get lucky this morning, too, with island girl</em>. With the warmth and comfort, she succumbed to her fantasy dream with the feeling of contentment.</p><p>“Get up and get a move-on you two, we’re off to the showers!”</p><p>She was hauled out of her dream with the weight of someone moving off of her. In her sleepy stupor, she felt the warmth move away from her shoulder, chest and stomach. She heard a gasp and partially sat up, holding herself up with her arms behind her. Something was wrong. She peeled her eyelids open to see the woman next to her, really close to her. She blinked then felt the smack across her face. Sloane’s head snapped to the side. She wobbled on her arms that were supporting her and slowly blinked again as her dreamy daze was literally smacked out of her. Her head heavily turned back to Rachel and looked stupefied at the woman. The Lieutenant leaned back with a furrowed brow. She grabbed her pack and stormed out of the tent, angry. Sloane looked down at where she was, completely confused. She was in a tent. <em> Where’s my hammock? </em> In the woods, on her side of the tent. <em> My island girl?! </em> She saw that her shirt was lifted up to her breast as she felt the cool morning air coming in, wondering, <em> What the fuck just happened? </em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><div>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Raymond</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I've added a warning here for a specific scene that may trigger someone. Please be aware I have marked the area with an attention warning.<br/>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;<br/>Attention Warning starts here.<br/>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sloane walked into the camping facilities and saw the three women standing at separate sinks. Rachel was putting her hair up in her usual ‘official’ Coast Guard tight bun and didn’t make eye contact, not that Sloane would’ve noticed. Chloe noticed, though, the little furrowed brow her dive partner had as the woman looked at her phone and stepped into a bathroom stall, talking. "Right, we have to do this quickly. The storm has been upgraded; it now has a name, hurricane Raymond, and he has decided to give us the finger by heading our way." Max stopped brushing her teeth and looked at the stall Sloane was in, then to Chloe and Rachel. Sloane continued, "We have a two and a half-hour time limit. Scratch that, I wanna be shipping out in an hour, hour and a half at the latest. The Chase is leaving Arcadia now n' heading north to stay out of Raymond’s path. Boss Lady said that if she has to leave her holiday time to come down and search for us, we’re better off not being found."</p><p> </p><p>Chloe packed up her shower caddy. "Right, we’ll pack up and store the camping equipment and grab it on the way down to the docks." She turned to Max. "You said it’s about a fifteen-minute walk?"</p><p>Max nodded.</p><p>"If we step it up, we can do it in less."</p><p>--------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>It didn’t have live tentacles like Chloe wanted, but as the incoming hurricane winds approached the coastline, the long branches of the octopus tree that lead up into the sky swayed, making them look alive. The group climbed the small two-rail fencing that kept tourists away and walked over to the old tree. Chloe helped Max up into its base and climbed up after her. The two glanced around, then Max took out the porthole and spoke a little louder in the wind, "I don’t know where to look?!" Each of the women looked in a direction for some clue.</p><p>Chloe commented, turning her face into the wind, "The forest has grown, the landscape has changed in a hundred and fifty plus years. All these trees were saplings or have replaced older, fallen ones. There is no way to know what direction to look." Both studied the dense forest around them. "What we're looking for could be fifty-yards in front of us and we wouldn't know." Chloe pointed north. "Arcadia is in that direction."</p><p> </p><p>Rachel noted that Sloane was looking more serious; her face was not the usual carefree one. She had seen that look before in a photo on Sloane’s wall where she was in full military gear. <em> I shouldn’t have hit her</em>. <em> Why the fuck was I wrapped around her while sleeping? </em></p><p>Sloane glanced back, noticing that she was being watched. <em> You hit me. </em>The Lieutenant turned away, having nothing to say for the moment. Sloane looked away and noted the time. "You have forty minutes," she said back to the ladies standing in the tree.</p><p>Max and Chloe again surveyed the area as the wind howled around the forest. Knowing they were on a short time limit Chloe came up with a plan. "Max, take out your phone and start taking panoramic shots, as many as you can, video also." Chloe looked down at Sloane. "We can split up and head to the two cliff areas, the lighthouse and the scenic viewpoint. There are multiple unnamed rocks around the coastline that could’ve been seen from the tree back in the day." </p><p>Max spoke up, "There’s an information center. If it’s still open, we can ask if anyone knows anything about a cancer line or crab line."</p><p>"K," Chloe replied loudly and nodded. "Guppy, you and Rach take the lighthouse and double-time it there, take pictures and video. We’ll head to the info center." Sloane nodded and climbed the fence and started down the trail with Rachel caught falling behind as Sloane hadn’t waited.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Chloe pocketed her phone a few minutes later when Max yelled into the wind, "I’ve got enough!"</p><p>"Got some video too?" Chloe asked.</p><p>"Yeah," Max replied as her hair was pulled over her face from the wind. Chloe pushed it back. "Right, let’s go."</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Max was almost out of breath, trying to keep up with Chloe’s quick stride. The lights were off in the information center and Chloe tried a door. "Shit, no one's here. Let’s get to the cliff viewpoint and get the shots, then come back here out of the wind and wait for them." The two walked around the corner and back into the strong winds, with Chloe taking Max's hand to make sure she was next to her.</p><p>With some captured video and multiple pictures taken of the ocean area before them, the two women had not stayed long as the winds were too strong and dangerous by the cliff’s edge.</p><p>Chloe once again kept Max close as they walked back to the information center. The lighter girl was having trouble walking against the wind. Still holding Max's hand, Chloe had directed her to walk behind, letting the diver take the full brunt of the wind. They rounded the corner again to the info centers entrance. "Oh shit!" Chloe said, surprised with Max gasping.</p><p>A tall tree had fallen into the entrance doors, breaking one of the door's windows. "Chloe!" Max shouted and pointed, a small branch from a tree flew past them.</p><p>Chloe hauled Max into her. "Get inside. We can’t stay out in the open like this. The hurricane is moving faster than what was reported." Max carefully climbed over the fallen tree and went through the broken glass door. She turned back, seeing Chloe climb through. "Careful, there’s glass everywhere." To their immediate left inside the building was a vending machine, then the door to the washrooms. There was an information booth in the center followed by an entrance to the information showcase featuring the trees, history of Cape Mears’s lighthouse, the surrounding state park, and then at the right was a small seating area. </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>TEXTuя</strong>
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  <strong>🐟Chloe 🠆 🐡Sloane</strong>
</p><p><strong>Chloe:</strong> Time to go Guppy. There’s already some<br/>            flying debris, shits picked up too fast,<br/>            we’re in the info center.</p><p> </p><p>The two ladies walked into the second room to get away from the windows. Numerous information kiosks were around the room with pictures of the park and surrounding area along with another vending machine and a door marked storage. Chloe tried a light switch and found that the power was out. She looked up at the natural lighting coming through from high windows in the room and her phone pinged with a message. </p><p> </p><p>
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  <strong>🐡Sloane 🠆 🐟Chloe</strong>
</p><p><strong>Sloane:</strong> On our way back.</p><p> </p><p>Chloe pocketed her phone as Max looked at her. "They’re on the way back."</p><p>"Okay," Max said quietly.</p><p>The two women walked around the center, reading information about the area and learning more about the park grounds once occupied by the native tribes. There were a few artifacts on display showing what had been found over the decades and a few early pictures of the famous Octopus Tree.</p><p>Max unzipped her jacket. "I'll be right back. Washroom."</p><p>"K, be careful." Chloe looked at the vending machine. "Want a drink or something?"</p><p>"Water, please," Max replied as she walked out the door.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Max opened the washroom door and was met with a gust of air. "Shit." Rain and small debris were being blown in from a window on the far top right that had been left open. She walked down past the stalls on her left and sinks on her right, with the back wall containing some janitorial supplies. Max looked up at the open window then around the floor, noting how wet it was. She took a mop from the janitorial bucket and tried to use it to push the high window closed but found that she was still too short. <em> Dammit, legs, why didn’t you grow </em> ? Max flipped over a metal bucket next to the janitorial supply cart to give herself an added boost. <em> All I need is Chloe to come in and see me using a bucket as a stepping stool</em>. Her ears popped from the change of pressure in the room as she pushed the window closed. Max put back the mop and bucket then turned when she heard the door to the washrooms open. She smirked. <em> Hah, she didn’t see me</em>.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Chloe looked down from a display after reading the information about the Octopus Tree. She took out her wallet and retrieved a bill as she walked over to the vending machine. The water bottle fell to the pickup tray as Chloe's phone rang. <em> Rachel? </em> She put it to her ear as she bent down, getting the bottle. Chloe stopped moving upon hearing Sloane’s voice on the other end. Chloe dropped the water bottle and sprinted for the washrooms, shoving her phone into her pocket. <em> No! </em></p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Sloane had kept a fast-paced jog down the pathway towards the lighthouse. She went down the steps, placing her hair in a ponytail to keep it away from her face. She took out her phone while heading to the fencing by the short lighthouse that had an attached gift shop, ready to start taking panoramic shots.</p><p>
  
</p><p>Rachel made it down the stairs, a little pissed that Sloane hadn’t waited for her. She took out her phone and loudly spoke with the wind, "Are you taking pics or video?!"</p><p>"Pics," Sloane replied loudly over the wind. She walked by the Lieutenant without looking at her in a different area.</p><p><em> She’s pissed</em>, Rachel thought, but knowing that Sloane had every right to be.</p><p>Sloane took a picture and pocketed her phone. "Why did you hit me?!"</p><p>"I - I don’t know!"</p><p>"Why are you angry with me?" Sloane shouted over the wind.</p><p>"I’m not!"</p><p>"Really?! I’m pretty sure when someone smacks you across the face, they’re usually mad at you. And you haven’t said a word since we left camp."</p><p>"We don’t have time for this," Rachel said with her stomach tensing. </p><p>"Yeah, we do."</p><p>"No. WE don’t."</p><p>"Why can’t you admit-"</p><p>"I’m not talking about this!"</p><p>"Well, I am."</p><p>"Well, you’re doing it by yourself," Rachel said, then walked away and started to head back up the steps.</p><p>Sloane yelled at her with the wind howling around them, "You wake up in my arms, with your hands on me! why can’t you adm-"</p><p>Rachel turned and yelled back, "It was a fucking mistake!"</p><p>"Like how you also kissed me?!"</p><p>"I thought you were someone else!"</p><p>"Bullshit! Does this 'someone else' also have tits that you grab at?"</p><p>Rachel turned and walked away, not knowing what to say, almost in a panic. <em> No! Please, this can’t happen. It can't get around</em>.</p><p><em> Fuck! </em> Sloane walked away to the other side of the lighthouse, away from the wind to get one final look and some quick pictures. <em> Jesus Christ, there's nothing wrong with you. Why can't you just realize that?  </em></p><p>Rachel stormed up the stairs. When she got to the top, she turned and looked back, with Sloane not following her. <em> Goddamnit! </em> She didn’t want to leave without her. She yelled, "SLOANE!" Her voice was carried off with the wind. <em> God fuckin’ dammit! </em> Rachel went down the stairs again and quickly walked around the front of the lighthouse to see that she wasn’t there. She kept walking around the lee side of the lighthouse. "Sloane!" she angrily called out. She rounded the corner and again called Sloane’s name, but this time from surprise.</p><p> </p><p>Sloane, bleeding heavily from her nose, was wrestling an unknown man on the ground. "Jesus!" Rachel gasped, seeing a syringe sticking out of Sloane’s thigh. One of the attacker’s arms was broken at an unnatural angle. Sloane quickly shifted her body around to get into position. She gritted her teeth, pulled the man's opposite arm at the wrist, and thrust her hips upwards. The attacker screamed in pain when his elbow dislocated. </p><p> </p><p>Rachel stepped forward and put her hand on her gun, but she was hauled back and spun around. She had no time to stop or block the punch that connected to her face. She stumbled backward and put her guard up in time when the attacker attempted to grab her again. Rachel countered with an upward thrust of her knee to her attacker’s stomach, then sidestepped and kicked her heel down at the side of his knee. She took a step to deliver a roundhouse kick to his head but stopped immediately as she saw a gun barrel pointed at her. Rachel, terrified, backed up against the lighthouse with her hands raised.</p><p>Sloane crawled towards Rachel on her hands and knees, spitting out blood. She saw the second attacker with a gun pointed at the Lieutenant. Her eyes were unfocused as she groggily pleaded, "No, please no, don’t."</p><p>Rachel looked over at Sloane, seeing her face covered in dark blood. She heard the woman's plea and thought of what Sloane had told her one night. <em> They shoot to kill. You don’t get a warning. They don’t care if you plead with them. They don’t care if you’re married or have kids. You. Will. Die. </em></p><p> </p><p>Rachel watched as the gun was aimed away from her, and a shot went off. She screamed, "NOOO!" Sloane slumped forward to the ground. The gun went back to aiming at the Lieutenant, and the gunman stated, "You’re going to tell me everything."</p><p>------------------------------</p><p>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;<br/>Attention Warning starts here.</p><p>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</p><p> </p><p>Rachel had been handcuffed with her own set then dragged into the lighthouse gift shop. She was tripped and landed on the floor only to be grabbed by the hair and pulled to her knees. She looked up at the attacker as he loomed over her. He calmly spoke, "Tell me."</p><p>Rachel didn't answer and the hand that held her hair pulled and squeezed, jerking her head back. "Tell me, Rachel."</p><p>"What are you doing?!" Rachel replied.</p><p>The attacker hummed then let his hold on her go. "I see we will have to do this another way, yes?"</p><p>Rachel clenched her jaw, glaring up at him. The man smirked at her defiance. "Indeed, we do."</p><p>"Fuck you," Rachel replied.</p><p>With no emotion, the attacker turned his back only for a moment, then swung around and slapped Rachel hard. The Lieutenant went quiet. Her right ear rang with a high pitched tone as she stared at the floor. She blinked to get back to her senses. The attacker stepped back and tilted his head to the side, looking at the dazed woman. He sighed, "You're just making it hard on yourself, Rachel." When the Lieutenant didn't answer, he took out his gun. "Fine, your choice."</p><p> </p><p>At gunpoint, Rachel was forced to stand on a chair as she re-cuffed herself to an electrical conduit pipe that ran across the small gift shop beams that adjoined the lighthouse. Once she did, the chair was kicked out from under her. Rachel yelped in pain as the metal cuffs dug into her wrists, with her arms taking her body weight. As one pain surged through her, another one took precedence when she was punched in the stomach. She coughed and gasped for air as her stomach tightened from getting the wind knocked out of her.</p><p>"Tell me," the attacker, once again, calmly asked. He didn’t give Rachel enough time to answer and he hit her again. Rachel let out another pained grunt.</p><p> </p><p>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;<br/>Attention Warning Ends here.</p><p>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</p><p> </p><p>The attacker leaned back to hit her again and stopped when he heard a phone's notification. "Excuse me for a moment, Rachel, I'll be back." The gunman walked to the giftshop’s counter where a small black leather case was opened, showing a vial and another needle. He picked it up, then the phone next to it and smiled as he walked back to Rachel, looking at the phone. "Well, one of you will talk, and I’m pretty sure it will be the doctor." He wagged the phone at the woman, getting her to notice. "And seeing as I now know where the doctor is, she will be joining us soon." He texted back, using Sloane’s phone. "Fortunately, I have no need for the other one with her, so she will also be dealt with."</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>TEXTuя</strong>
  <br/>
  <strong>🐟Chloe 🠆 🐡Sloane</strong>
</p><p><strong>Chloe:</strong> Time to go Guppy. There’s already some<br/>             flying debris, shits picked up too fast,<br/>             we’re in the info center.<br/><strong>.</strong><br/><strong>.</strong><br/><strong>Sloane:</strong> On our way back.</p><p> </p><p>The gunman smiled at Rachel. "Okay." He pocketed Sloane's phone and tapped Rachel's leg. "You stay here and hang out for a bit while I go get the doctor. I'm sure this will be over soon."</p><p>The gunman left the gift shop with his head down, walking into the wind. He rounded the lighthouse's lee side, took the body on the ground by the wrist and dragged it over to the fence. With two pushes with his foot, the body rolled under the two rail fencing. Then, with one final shove, it rolled again and fell off the cliff to the storm waters below. He turned around and left for his next task in a fast jog.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>She slowly came to, feeling like she’d done a 48-hour physical training session with a bender night of drinking. She rolled on the ground and tried to bring her hand to her face only to find that she couldn’t. She opened her eyes, seeing the world tilted on its side. Laying on the hardwood floor, she blinked slowly, coming to, then coughed and spat blood, which made her cough again. She looked at what kept her hands held and saw that she was cuffed to an electrical conduit pipe. Sloane's adrenaline spiked, eyes dilated, her heart quickened. She took a deep breath and sat up, taking in everything around her. </p><p>"Rachel!" Sloane shouted to her, seeing the woman hanging from a pipe. The Lieutenant didn’t budge. "Jesus fucking Christ!" Blood was trailing down the blonde’s wrists and her nose and lip were bleeding. Sloane yelled, "RACHEL!" The diver kept looking around at her surroundings. Everything felt out of focus with a slight delay. She put her feet up against the wall and hauled back. The cuffs bit into her wrists and Sloane grunted and clenched her jaw at the pain. The thin electrical pipe bent slightly as she yelled at the object, "Come on, you fucking cunt!" Sloane growled. She heard Rachel moan, her body twitched as she came to. "Sl-oane?"</p><p>Sloane shouted, "Wake up, Lieutenant, get your ass in gear!" She watched Rachel come out of her stupor. "Slo… Auugh…."</p><p>"That’s it."</p><p>"Auugh, Jesus… fuck," she mumbled.</p><p>"There you are," Sloane said with a smile.</p><p>Rachel mumbled, "He’s gone after Max." The woman's head lolled forward. </p><p>"K, hey, you wanna know something interesting?" Sloane smirked. Rachel moaned, not really caring. "Hey Lieutenant, pay attention!" Rachel blinked, coming out of her daze. Sloane continued looking over her shoulder to Rachel, making sure she had the woman’s eye contact. "So, back in the day, like the day of Max’s grandpappy, who, by the way, still looked like Captain Pollack..." Rachel had a little smile, repeating ‘Pollack’ with Sloane. Sloane again bore down and hauled back on the pipe with a grunt. The pipe bent a little more. "Anywho, they used to use gas pipes to lay wiring underground and into some buildings and homes, cause it was cheaper. It wasn’t a problem until a few decades later." Sloane paused and looked back at Rachel and waited.</p><p>"Why?" the Lieutenant mumbled as a drop of blood fell to the floor.</p><p>Sloane turned back to her task, knowing that Rachel was still with her and coherent. She worked fast. "The gas pipes they used were thin iron that was uncoated." Sloane once again bore down to bend the pipe a little more. "You mother fucking cunt bitch," she said angrily to the pipe. Sloane continued her story with no anger in her voice to Rachel, "So in the nineteen seventies, there were new building codes added. Baby boomers were buying new homes or moving into older ones. Many households had complaints of electrical failures within the older homes. Also, around the same time, the boomer generation that went into the workforce were also buying older buildings to start new businesses. They also had the same problems. Turns out the uncoated pipes, over time, rusted, allowing for water to seep in and cause electrical shortages. And with the new building codes of the ’70s, all the pipes had to be replaced once they found out they were rusted. So that was a shitload of money to repair." She turned back to Rachel again, giving her some more eye contact. "Hmm, my light switch won’t turn on the basement light anymore; let’s get Mr. Electrical dude here to fix it." Sloane again pulled at her cuffs, bending the pipe slightly. "You find out your home has the old gas rusted pipes and you have to replace every one of them and the wiring. Needless to say, people were pissed." Sloane moved the cuff’s chain closer to the U-bracket that was fixed to the stone wall, then once again hauled on the pipe, letting her inch closer to the bracket. "Anywho, I know this is a riveting story and you would love to go back to sleep, but hear my tale out." She again looked back at Rachel and the woman grunted. "I know, right, this is so exciting. As I said, new pipes were corrosion-resistant, and to save costs, they reused the U-brackets that you see here. But what they didn’t do is drill new holes for the brackets. Instead, they filled the hole with a compound and just stuck the screw back in. Instead of doing it correctly, they half-assed it to save time and money." Sloane had moved her cuffs up against the U-bracket. "So, over time, the compound broke down." Sloane hauled back against the pipe and bracket popped out of the stone wall. She picked it up and showed Rachel with a smile. "And made it easy to come out." Sloane wiggled her eyebrows, then turned back to the pipe and scooched over, getting her hands under the pipe and leaning back again with the next U-bracket popping out. She moved down again to the next one. "Moral of the story, do it right the first time, or eighty years later, some chick is gonna fuck your shit up trying to get to a recycle bin."</p><p>Sloane reached the end of the pipe at an electrical outlet and used her feet to knock the recycling bin over with cans rolling out. "Ah, perfect!" With her feet, she maneuvered the bin around. "Okay, LT. On three, lift your feet." Rachel grunted, understanding. At the count of three, Sloane slid the bin across the floor, landing close enough for Rachel to stand on it. Rachel winced in pain as her ligaments, muscles, and wrists ached. "Auugh, fuck."</p><p>"There we go." Sloane, in a seated position, wiggled around and picked up an empty cola can. "Wanna see what happens when you’re on a vessel, months at sea, bored, and you’ve fallen down the YouTube rabbit hole?" Sloane lifted the aluminum can and bit into it like a chicken leg, ripping off a piece. She proceeded to make a shimmy and slipped the metal between one piece of the handcuff and the cuff’s teeth, freeing herself. "Ta-da." Sloane got to her feet, feeling dizzy and she stumbled. She placed her hand on the wall. "Fuck, sorry, I’m a little dizzy, legs aren’t legging right."</p><p>Rachel mumbled, "He didn’t take my phone; it’s on the gift shop table." Sloane shuffled over, trying to blink the dizziness away. Rachel continued, "There was a needle sticking out of your leg."</p><p>"Yeah, I felt him jab me." Sloane looked at the side of her leg and noted a blood spot on her pants as she picked up Rachel’s phone, leaning heavily on the counter. She phoned Chloe.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Max’s heart jumped and she backed away to the far wall, seeing the reflection of a man with a gun. He pushed the first stall door open, then the next. She had nowhere to go and her panic started to take over. </p><p>She heard the washroom door open. "Max!"</p><p>There was the sound of movement with grunts and yells of obscenities. Chloe’s hands were on the gunman’s wrist that held the gun. The two struggled closely as she tried to get the muzzle away from her body. They both hit up against the first stall, with Chloe going through the doorway. As she was falling back she positioned the gunman’s hand to hit off the stall corner entrance. He was forced to use his other hand to brace himself from falling into the stall with her. He winced in pain as his hand hit the corner. Chloe got her balance back and hauled his hand again to smack against the corner. </p><p>"Fuck!" the gunman yelled. Chloe pushed forward with her shoulder and they both moved back. The gunman hit hard up against a sink with his lower back and grunted upon impact. Chloe focused on the hand that held the gun and didn’t see the elbow that came across, hitting her in the temple. At the awkward angle, he wasn’t able to get all of his weight behind it. Chloe’s head snapped to the side and he came back with another. The diver growled, yelled, and slammed his hand against the sink corner. A shot went off, aimed at the back of the washroom. He still held onto the gun and his free hand gouged at the woman’s face, getting a finger in her eye. Chloe put her head down and tilted it to the side to get the digit away, wincing in pain. "Motherfucker!" Another shot went off. The gunman turned his hips to the side, giving him a better position with Chloe’s two hands now holding the weapon. He kneed her hard into the side of her stomach. Chloe let out a pained grunt and followed up with her yelling and swearing as she slammed her body against him again. She took one of her hands that was holding his wrist and grabbed his neck, once again she slammed her body into his and pushed with her free hand, whacking the back of his head into a mirror and shattering it. He was dazed. Chloe stepped back to take a swing. Her boots let out a squeak as they lost their grip on the wet floor. Her two feet went out from under her and she fell and lost her grip on the man’s wrist. She smacked her head against the lower stall wall, wincing. The gunman recovered and Chloe could only look at the man, then the barrel of his gun pointed at her chest. His finger went to the trigger.</p><p>"NO!" Max yelled from behind the stalls.</p><p>The gunman couldn’t react fast enough as a mop hit his wrist, breaking the wooden staff. The gun dropped and slid away from him. Chloe took advantage; from the ground she kicked forward, hitting him in the knee. He yelled and grabbed his leg in pain. On her back, Chloe grabbed the stall wall and pushed with her foot against the toilet, sliding back under a stall. The man glanced at her hand as she reached for the gun. Chloe grasped the weapon and aimed at the closing washroom door as the man ran away. She fired off two shots, then got to her feet and immediately went to Max. "You okay?!"</p><p>Max, with the broken mop handle in her hand, nodded. "Yeah." Chloe went for the door. She opened it and aimed, checked her corners.</p><p>"I’ll be back. Lock the door behind me." She said, then left to pursue.</p><p>The gunman hobbled as he ran for the building’s exit. He stumbled forward onto the fallen tree and crawled out of the building. Chloe was close behind. She aimed and fired just as he disappeared around the corner with the bullet hitting the concrete structure where his chest had been a moment before. Chloe went outside in the shearing rain, wind, and flying debris. She peered around the corner and felt the full force of the wind. She held onto the corner of the building, hauling herself back. The gunman, out in the elements, struggled to keep his footing. With his back against the hurricane winds, he was pushed against the direction they blew. Chloe watched a large tree become uprooted and fell, sideswiping the man and breaking the wooden fencing. The man stumbled forward, tripped on debris, and disappeared over the cliff.</p><p><em> Holy Fuck! </em> Chloe said to herself as she got back around the corner and out of the winds. She made her way quickly back into the info center and to the woman locked in the bathroom.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>picture of Cape Mears Lighthouse by Steven Walling from Portland, OR, USA (aka VanTucky) CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3670991</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. On My Life</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sloane had gotten Rachel down from her cuffs. Both of them sat on the floor against the gift shop counter, listening to the ongoing call that Chloe hadn't ended. They heard the screams, yells and the gunshots go off. Rachel did her best to comfort Sloane, who had started shaking. Tears fell as she rocked herself back and forth, staring off into the distance, feeling absolutely helpless of not being able to get to Chloe and Max. Rachel had tried to shake Sloane out of her trance but couldn’t; Sloane kept going back into a daze. She thought it was the drug that Sloane was jabbed with that was causing this reaction. </p><p>There was a huge relief to Rachel once the gunfire stopped, the unrecognizable noises became silent, and she heard Chloe ask Max if she was okay. Rachel picked up the phone from the floor next to Sloane. "Chloe…" Rachel kept the woman close to her and rubbed the back of Sloane's shoulders. She calmly spoke to her, "She can’t hear me, so I’m gonna hang up and call her again, okay?" Sloane didn’t answer, and her body began to shake.</p><p>Rachel phoned back right away and Chloe picked up. They had a speakerphone conversation about what had happened on both sides. It was discussed that they would stay in their respective areas as they had missed their cut-off time to leave. The hurricane was already arriving and both Rachel and Chloe felt confident the lighthouse would withstand the storm. Chloe mentioned that the information center had been there since the 1950s. The structure was concrete, metal, and some glass. She said there was a back storage area that would work as a bunker. Chloe made Rachel note her phone battery life and decided that she would just use it for texting back and forth. Chloe had asked Sloane a question but she didn’t answer and Rachel filled her in on what was happening. </p><p>"Chloe, she’s shaking and rocking herself back and forth. I think whatever sedative they used is causing a bad reaction; she’s not very coherent, her adrenaline only got her so far."</p><p>"Okay, it might be that, but Sloane also has PTSD. Check her pockets; she carries a small tin of her pills. Give her one and keep her warm. Try to get her to talk, or give her small tasks to do to keep her mind active. Get in her face right now and get her out of her state."</p><p>Rachel got Sloane’s attention and kept it. She put the phone in Sloane's hand and told her that Chloe wanted to talk to her. "I’m okay, Guppy, we’re both okay over here," Chloe had said.</p><p>"I-I-I could g-get to y-you. I wanted t-t-to," Sloane replied. Rachel held Sloane and rocked her back and forth as she opened a small container. "I, my legs aren’t working t-too well and my head feels fuzzy." Rachel quietly spoke, "Here, open." Sloane looked at Rachel as the woman put the pill into Sloane’s mouth. Chloe gave out some instructions, "I want you to stay where you are. I want you to secure your bunker and dig in for the hurricane. Gather supplies and keep her safe. We’ll check in with each other every hour, understood?"</p><p>"Y-yes," Sloane replied with her voice cracking from a dry throat.</p><p>"And while you’re there, I’m gonna hang out in the storage closet and make out with my girlfriend."</p><p>Sloane smiled and Chloe chuckled, "You know this is not our first hurricane. This will be easy compared to being on The Chase during one. ‘Member three years ago?"</p><p>"Yeah, the waves were huge," Sloane replied.</p><p>"Your damn right they were and you were singing pirate songs." Chloe chuckled again and added, "We survived that and we can easily survive this."</p><p>"Okay."</p><p>"Okay. We’ll talk or text in an hour."</p><p>"One hour," Sloane replied.</p><p>"Take care of her," Chloe commented. Rachel was going to reply, but Sloane answered, "On my life, and you take of her."</p><p>Chloe replied, "On my life." The call ended and Sloane got to her wobbly feet. She stumbled a little, but she steadied herself by placing a hand on the wall and table. Rachel watched as she let Sloane get to work.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Chloe held Max closely as she ended the call from the information center’s bathroom. Chloe cleaned off the blood from her face and hands as Max used the facilities. The auburn was quiet as they walked to the back area of the building. Chloe opened the storage door and commented, "Nice and cozy." There were boxes of marketing information sheets for tourists, apparel of the Cape Mears State Park, boxes of vending machine snacks, and two first aid kits. Chloe had made up their hideaway; she’d placed a dozen or so shirts and hoodies on the floor for Max. She took off her wet jacket and put on a state park hoodie and showed Max. "So whaddya think of my threads and our hole to another universe?" Max smiled as she held herself and quietly replied, "Nice, like what you’ve done with the place."</p><p>There was a loud noise from behind as something hit the building. Chloe dug out a flashlight in one of the first aid kits then closed the door behind them. "We’re gonna be okay; like I told Guppy, this place has seen hurricanes before that were much stronger." She guided Max to sit on the hoodies and she sat next to her. Max nodded and she held herself again. Chloe wrapped an arm around the woman and whispered to her, "We’re going to be okay. Slo and Rach are going to be okay."</p><p>Max remained quiet as she put her head down. Chloe heard a small sob. "Shh, shh, it’s okay." She kissed Max’s head, comforting her. Max shook her head and sobbed again. Chloe saw tears fall from Max’s eyelashes. "No, it’s not," Max whispered. Chloe wrapped her other arm around the woman as Max cried, "This is all my fault." </p><p>-------------------</p><p>Sloane had done a mini-recon of the gift shop and the adjoining lighthouse, which was set up as a mock historical display of what it was like to live as a lighthouse keeper. She took note that the woodstove was real and functional. '<em> They probably used it during the fall months to keep the giftshop warm </em>.' The shelves, unfortunately, were just props of supplies. The footlocker at the end of the iron railing single bed was empty. The bed was real and it had a handmade, patchwork quilt laid upon it created by a local craftworker. A work table was against another wall with all the original equipment used to send out morse code over a hundred years ago, but not in working order. Then a small table and chairs for eating and preparing food, and lastly, a washbasin with a mirror. The gift shop was decked out in the regular tourist fare, from apparel, posters or prints of the lighthouse, to specialty commemorative plates, spoons and other kitsch items. Sloane gathered material that they would need to get them through the storm and went into the lighthouse.</p><p> </p><p>The sky had turned dark as the winds and rain were already full force. Sloane had found candles that were in little glass cups that said 'Cape Mears Lighthouse' in the gift shop. Rachel had retrieved her gun and walked around the gift shop, also taking note of things, but more so keeping an eye on Sloane, letting her walk around to keep her busy and get the remaining sedative out of her system, which, to her relief, wasn't much. Sloane set the candles down and placed a book of matches next to them on the small table in the lighthouse. Rachel started to light them, giving their little home some needed light. Sloane walked around the shop’s counter and spotted a mini-fridge. "Ahh sweet, there’s a mini-fridge." She opened it. The power to the little shop was out but the fridge had kept some drinks cool. "You want a water or a cola?" Rachel looked out the lighthouse doorway, seeing two floating drinks above the countertop. "Water, please."</p><p>"K." Sloane took out two water bottles. She opened the side drawers to the counters. "Wow, the person that works here is a snack fiend." Sloane took out a tin of shortbread cookies, a box of granola bars and spotted a small first aid kit. She took the items and placed them with the candles as Rachel had taken a seat at the small table and finished lighting the last candle. Sloane wiggled her nose, feeling the dryness under it and wiped it with the back of her hand. She noticed dried blood, she then noticed Rachel’s nose and lip. The diver walked over to the shirts that were for sale and took one. She walked back to the table, took a chair, dragged it next to Rachel and sat down to face her. Sloane took one water, opened it and wetted a shirt. "Here, you have dry blood on your nose and mouth." Sloane began to clean the woman up without Rachel having time to protest. "Are any of your teeth loose?"</p><p>"No." Rachel felt like a kid having her mother clean her face.</p><p>"K, how do you feel?"</p><p>Rachel smiled at Sloane’s mothering and fussing over her. "I’m good, my stomach hurts from getting punched there."</p><p>Sloane stopped and looked at Rachel’s midsection. "He hit you in the stomach?"</p><p>"Yeah, he said ‘tell me everything.’"</p><p>Sloane took the bloodied shirt away from Rachel’s face. She clenched her jaw to keep her anger under control. "Are you having trouble breathing?"</p><p>"No, I wasn’t hit in the ribs."</p><p>Sloane smirked a little. "Well, it’s a good thing you work out, keeping them abs in check." </p><p>Rachel smiled as Sloane looked down at the woman's wrists. Sloane whispered, "Jesus Christ." She gently took one of Rachel’s wrists, seeing the skin torn away and bloody. She took the wet shirt and gently blotted the area. Rachel watched Sloane’s looking on in dread. She whispered, "I’m okay, Sloane." Sloane grunted, furrowed her brow to try and hide her other emotions.</p><p> </p><p>Rachel quietly paid attention to Sloane as she noticed the woman diligently cleaning both of her wrists then wrapped them in gauze. Sloane folded up the bloodied shirt. "Take this," she said as she took out some painkillers from the first aid kit and passed them and the water bottle to Rachel. Sloane got up and tossed the bloody shirt into the trash bin, grabbed another for herself and came back into the lighthouse. She wetted it down and began to clean herself. Rachel looked up, seeing Sloane had missed a spot. "You, ah..." Rachel motioned to her own face pointing at a spot. "Right there." Sloane wiped her face and the Lieutenant smiled. "No, the other side." Sloane looked at Rachel then wiped the other side, missing the bloody spot once more. "Here, sit, let me." Sloane hesitated for a moment until Rachel tapped the seat in front of her. "Come on, your turn." Sloane sat down and leaned forward. She kept her hands clenched to the seat and her eyes averted. She held her breath, feeling one of Rachel’s hands hold her chin up as she cleaned. Rachel smiled. "I’ve never seen someone get hit so many times in the nose. We’ve only known each other for a few months and this is, like the third time you’ve had a nose bleed."</p><p>Sloane raised her eyebrows and smirked, "I am a delicate snowflake."</p><p>Rachel hummed with a small chuckle, "What about you? Are you okay, physically?"</p><p>Sloane wiggled her nose and checked her teeth. "Seems okay, he only hit me once after he-" Sloane turned and looked at her leg. She felt around the area.</p><p>Rachel spoke up, retelling the story to Sloane once more, "There was a syringe sticking out of your thigh when I saw you."</p><p>"Yeah, I was, fuck. I couldn’t get to you, everything felt so heavy. How long was I out?"</p><p>Rachel rocked her head from side to side, "I really don’t know. Best guess, thirty minutes?" She checked her phone for the time and sent Chloe a text, receiving one back, showing Sloane as she continued, "As soon as he cuffed us and took a couple of punches at me, he left." Rachel stared at a candle’s flame. "He shot the person that was with him… I-" Rachel shook her head again, trying to understand what she’d seen. "Who does that?"</p><p>Sloane answered as she pressed down on her thigh around the injection area, "He was a liability. You have to understand these people don’t value a person's life."</p><p>Rachel looked from the flame to Sloane, "I thought he killed yo-"</p><p>"Ow!" Sloane winced at the thigh, feeling the area again. "Shit, think there’s something in my thigh. Ah, fuck me. The needle probably broke off." Sloane stood up and turned away from the Lieutenant. She unzipped her pants and Rachel turned away, but in her peripheral vision, she saw Sloane lower one side of her pants to look at the back of her thigh. Sloane had her body twisted, looking down at the area. With the low light, she couldn’t see much but she could see that the area was bloody and swollen. Sloane touched the area and winced, dragging air through her teeth in pain. Rachel turned and saw the area. "Oh shit. Come here." Rachel moved the candles toward the edge of the table. She motioned for Sloane to back up so she could get a better look. "Come back, let me look. It looks kinda bad." Rachel took one of the candles and held it near Sloane’s thigh then placed her hand on the area. Sloane tensed up, held her breath and looked away. <em> Warm soft hand</em>. "You got the needle embedded in your skin," Rachel stated.</p><p>Sloane turned back. "Goddammit."</p><p>Rachel gently pushed down a little on the woman's thigh and Sloane winced. "Yeah, I can see it under your skin. With you moving around, you’re jabbing yourself over and over, damaging the area." She took out the tweezers from the first aid kit. "Come." Rachel leaned forward. "Back up a bit more towards the candles." Sloane shuffled back a little holding her pants up and again felt Rachel touch her. The Lieutenant placed her hand on the diver’s hip to get her in position. Rachel bit the corner of her lip as she hauled down Sloane’s pants more.</p><p>Rachel stopped and looked at Sloane’s butt. <em> Oh God</em>... "Is that-" The woman wore cheeky panties and, to Rachel’s confusion and silliness, she chuckled, "-a goldfish?" Rachel looked at Sloane’s tattoo as the diver looked back, a little embarrassed. "Ah... yeah." Rachel furrowed her brow and widely smiled, still confused, "As in, the cracker?" The tattoo was the one that Sloane had mentioned weeks ago outside the coffee shop as she watched Max go to the bank. The small goldfish cracker tattoo wore a diving mask with three bubbles coming from its snorkel. From behind that, there were three pieces of seaweed swaying in the invisible current. Rachel leaned back, giggling and hiding her mouth as she looked up at Sloane. <em> Ow, my stomach</em>. She held her abdomen when she felt the jabbing pain.</p><p>"What?" Sloane asked with a smile.</p><p>"It's a goldfish cracker," she replied, gently rubbing her stomach where she was punched.</p><p>"Yeah, they’re yummy."</p><p>Rachel closed her eyes and shook her head, smiling, trying to understand. "It has a mask and a snorkel."</p><p>"Well, it’s in the water, it needs to see and be able to breathe air." The diver stated.</p><p>Rachel chucked more. "What? It’s a fish, it doesn’t need a mask and snorkel."</p><p>Sloane explained with her brows raised, "It’s a cracker and yeah it does." Rachel sat back in her chair and Sloane watched her. "Stop laughing at my fish cracker tattoo." Those words only made Rachel laugh more, so Sloane added, "I may have been eating a bag of goldfish at the time of the tattoo and smoked up with Price beforehand." </p><p>Rachel replied sarcastically, "I would never have guessed."</p><p>"Quiet, you," Sloane replied with a smirk.</p><p>Rachel controlled her laughter, leaned forward with the tweezers and talked to the tattoo, "Okay, fish cracker, tell Slo to stay still while I get the harpoon out of her leg." There was a moment of silence, then Sloane replied, "Her name is Chlo-OW!"</p><p>Rachel hauled out the needle, laughing again, "You named it Chloe?! What, does she have one named Sloane?"</p><p>Sloane looked away, "No?"</p><p>"Oh my God, she does!" Rachel continued laughing as she put the needle in the bloody shirt that she used on Sloane. </p><p>"It’s meant to mean that we cover each other’s butts."</p><p>Rachel smiled widely, looked up at Sloane, and placed a band-aid on Sloane’s tiny wound. "That’s kinda cute."</p><p>Sloane quickly replied, "Oh, whatever, you’re just upset cause you don’t have one."</p><p>Rachel stopped and looked at Sloane. <em> She didn’t notice</em>. "Yeah, I do."</p><p>Sloane hauled up her pants, zipped up, then turned around and looked at Rachel like she was full of herself. "No, yah don’t..." <em> Unless it was on her back</em>. Sloane thought.</p><p>Rachel put her foot up on her chair and lifted her pant leg, showing the red dragon tattoo around her calf.</p><p>Sloane raised her eyebrows, surprised. For a woman who is great with details, this was a big one that she'd missed. "Well, holy shit." Sloane sat back down and leaned forward to look at it. "How the hell did I miss that?"</p><p>Rachel smiled, and without thinking, replied, "Well, you weren’t looking at my calves."</p><p>Sloane looked away and leaned back in the chair. "I- auuuh... sorry." The silly moment had gone, replaced with a more uncomfortable one. Sloane stood up and Rachel took the woman’s hand, looking up at her. "I’m sorry."</p><p>Sloane didn’t make eye contact and replied, "It’s okay."</p><p>Rachel sighed, "No, it’s not. I panicked. I am sorry for hitting you."</p><p>Sloane withdrew her hand from Rachel. "Seriously, it’s okay," She rubbed the back of her ear as she moved her chair back to the other side of the table. "I should’ve slept in the boat, that way it w-"</p><p>"Sloane," Rachel didn’t like Sloane taking the blame, she swore under her breath, "I-I thought I was with Jason and when I realized what I did. I panicked." </p><p>Sloane nodded, feeling rejected again. "Okay, yeah, no worries." The uncomfortable moment was put to the side as the wind started to roar. Rain smacked hard up against the windows and out in the gift shop, the front door was pushed open.</p><p> </p><p>The shop was flooded with hurricane winds, knocking over and moving lighter material around. The two women ran for the door and pushed it hard to try and close it. Sloane looked up and suddenly grabbed Rachel and hauled her back, both falling to the ground. Sloane rolled on top of Rachel, covering her as they heard a loud boom. Rachel tensed against Sloane as the woman on top looked over her shoulder. The G force winds around them shook their clothes. It was hard to see, speak and even to take a breath of air. The front side of the gift shop and part of the roof was damaged from a fallen tree. Both watched as the tree was then lifted up into the wind. Then the roof to the shop cracked then lifted from its bracings. Sloane grabbed Rachel and they got back into the lighthouse and closed the heavy steel and wooden door behind them. Sloane took Rachel’s arm and yelled over the hurricane winds, pointing, "BED!" Sloane turned the old iron bed frame onto its side. Rachel got behind, along with Sloane. They both huddled together on the ground with their backs up against a wall as Sloane moved the mattress over them to act as a barrier. She looked at the Lieutenant and gave her a comforting smile and loudly said over the winds, "It’s been here for over a hundred years, it’s concrete with brick, sheathed in an iron sheet." Sloane smirked and chuckled, "Hurricane Raymond can suck a dick!" </p><p>All around them the hurricane roared, pushing against the lighthouse. Their ears popped with the sudden change in pressure. There were immediate sounds of destruction from outside and glass windows breaking from above in the lighthouse. Rachel curled into Sloane. The diver wrapped herself around the Lieutenant, covering as much of the woman's body as she could and held on. <em> On my life. </em></p><p>-------------------</p><p>Chloe held Max’s face as the woman wouldn’t look at her. She spoke over the howling winds outside, "None of this is your fault."</p><p>"It is," Max replied, trembling. The hurricane hit full force into the information center. The storage door shook back and forth. There were sounds of things falling, glass breaking and loud crashing noises from beyond the door.</p><p>"Chloe!" Max said, scared. She put her face against the woman’s chest. Chloe put her arm around Max’s head, protecting her, and she leaned down. "It’s okay." She rocked her side to side. "It’s okay." She kissed her on top of her head.</p><p>"I’m sorry, I’m so sorry," Max said.</p><p>"Sorry for what?" Chloe had a little smile. She looked down at her and brushed Max's cheek.</p><p>Max sniffed and looked up as more tears fell. She continued to sob, seeing the swelling and cuts on Chloe's face. "For everything, for falling off the cliff, for you getting taken and beaten, for your life being in danger, Rachel’s, Sloane’s… all for what? Sloane and Rachel are going to die, we are going to die for some stupid goddamn map." Max closed her eyes and flinched with another sound of something crashing outside. "I wish I never came back to Arcadia. Everyone would be safe."</p><p>Chloe answered back as she began to wipe away the woman’s tears, "Max, Sloane and Rachel are going to be fine. I’m willing to bet Sloane is probably giggling right now being through this. They’re in a safe and secure place for this and so are we." Chloe held up Max’s face. "Look at me." Max, with tearful blue eyes, looked at her. "I am happy that you came here. I met you; you, the beautiful person that makes me happy. I think about you every day and how I can be a better person for you. The pretty smile that I see when you look at me, the way you make me feel." Chloe, with her thumb, wiped another tear away and looked into Max’s eyes. "The woman I fell in love with." Chloe placed her forehead against Max’s.</p><p>"Chloe," Max’s voice quivered.</p><p>"I love you. Please don’t take that away and say it was a mistake." She kissed Max and felt the wet saltiness of her lips. "I’m in love with you, Max."</p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. I Can Explain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The morning sun rose, bringing a beautiful, clear day. A seagull perched on top of the lighthouse and looked out over the calm ocean. Inside, Rachel slept, feeling the warmth around her. Her eyes slowly opened in the dimly-lit room. A quilt was drawn over her, covering and keeping her warm throughout the night. Rachel felt her head move slightly up and down as she listened to the thumping of a heartbeat. She took a long deep breath through her nose and slowly released it, swallowed on a semi-dry throat, then lifted her head slightly to get a more comfortable spot. Letting out a soft hum, the Lieutenant started to doze off again as she listened to the ocean waves and felt a gentle breeze in the room. She gently grazed her thumb across smooth skin and seconds later her eyes darted open. NO! Nonononono. Rachel was once again waking up curled into Sloane. Oh fuck. How?! Oh Jesus! She controlled her panic and slowly withdrew her hand that had once again found its way under the woman’s shirt and onto her stomach. Don’t wake up, don’t wake up! Rachel, frightened, slowly started to escape Sloane’s cuddly, warm embrace. Sloane had her arms wrapped around the Lieutenant’s body; her chin tucked on top of the blonde’s head as she quietly snoozing. Ooh no, please don’t wake up! With her free hand, Rachel gently took Sloane's arm that was wrapped around the Lieutenant's shoulder, lifted it, and placed it on the woman's stomach. In the quietness of the morning, Rachel could hear Sloane’s steady breathing; it hadn’t changed. It probably got cold last night, she told herself as she hovered over Sloane’s face to move her body and gradually started leaning back, staring at the woman beneath her. Don't wake up! Rachel froze for a moment as the diver swallowed and took a big breath of air through her nose, turned her head in the opposite direction, and fell back into her breathing rhythm. Rachel looked down at the woman, seeing her facial features close to her. Sloane had a faint scar on her forehead and one below her eye that ran to the edge of her cheekbone. Rachel's heartbeat thumped hard in her chest as the Lieutenant’s eyes traveled down to look at the woman's mouth that was barely parted. She glanced up at closed eyes then back down to soft lips. I want to- I wish. The sound of a seagull loudly calling out had Rachel jump out of her thoughts and she pushed herself away, terrified. She put her back against the lighthouse wall, sitting upright and wide-eyed. Oh, please no!</p><p>With her eyes closed, Sloane furrowed her brow, waking up to the elongated call of the bird perched outside. She mumbled, "Mafuckin’ Christ, shut the hell up." The seagull again called out. Sloane opened her eyes and took a deep breath of air and groggily spoke, "Mornin’."<br/>Rachel sat stiff as a board against the brick wall, slightly wincing at her immediate stomach pain from yesterday's attack. "Morning."<br/>Sloane shifted her body on the floor, noticing the woman's stiffness and small wince. "Oh shit, I’m sorry." She looked at Rachel. "I took up all the space. Fuck, you should’ve poked me to move or take turns sitting up." Sloane hauled the quilt off her body and sat up. They both took in their surroundings.</p><p>Shards of glass were spread over the wet floor from two broken windows on the northern wall. "Well, we’re still here," Sloane said, scratching the back of her head. "You okay?"<br/>The Lieutenant replied with a slight smile, "Yeah, nothing to it."<br/>Sloane smirked and stood up with her hand out to help up the woman.<br/>The two got up with stiff joints. Sloane stretched and let out a long yawn. "I’m hungry, how about you?"<br/>Rachel nodded and hid her confusion that Sloane’s first thought was not the hurricane damage, getting cuffed to a pipe or getting jabbed with a needle; it was of food. "Ahh, yeah, I guess I could eat?" Rachel let out a held breath; her ‘mistake’ hadn’t been caught. Oh, thank God.<br/>They walked towards the lighthouse door. "Cool," Sloane replied, looking at the items on the small table that were brought in last night, "We have the cookies and granola, we can totally scarf down on. I'll get some more water from the mini-fridge-" As Sloane opened the door, the two women were hit with the morning light and the slight breeze of the day. "-or not," Sloane finished. The gift shop was no longer there.<br/>"Holy shit," Rachel said, stunned.<br/>The two women stepped outdoors, looking at the remains of what was left behind. They both looked at each other, surprised, then Sloane smiled. "Hey, did you hear about the hurricane that got arrested?"<br/>Rachel shook her head, once again confused. "You’re making a joke?"<br/>Sloane continued, "They got him for shoplifting." Sloane spread her hands out and looked around with a huge smile.<br/>Rachel rolled her eyes and smiled. "Oh my God, please don’t."<br/>"What?" Sloane crossed her arms in front of her chest, furrowed her brow and pouted. "I don’t know why you don’t want to hear about F5 hurricane jokes... they’re refreshing." Rachel looked at Sloane’s one raised eyebrow and small smirk as the woman waited to see the Lieutenant's reaction. It took an extra second for Rachel to get it, and she let out a chuckle. "Stooop," she said, taking out her phone, shaking her head.<br/>"Hey, hey," Sloane continued. "A quarter of the roof was ripped right off by the hurricane… it’s now an oof."<br/>Rachel sighed and gave herself a facepalm. "Morning, Chloe, please tell Sloane to stop with the dad storm jokes." Rachel stared at a spot on the ground, listening to Chloe on the other end of the call. "What are you doing?" she asked with a puzzled look.<br/>Sloane smiled, happy at the new, beautiful day, and walked around the lighthouse's leeward side. She looked down, seeing a small box. "Ou. Noice." She took a few little objects off the ground and held one up to the sky to inspect it. "Heh."<br/>-------------------------------<br/>Chloe woke up surrounded in hoodies and one bare-chested, scratch that, fully naked Doctor Max Caulfield. Chloe turned her head and kissed the woman’s chest that she had her head lying on and gave her a slight squeeze. The smaller woman took a deep breath, waking up amongst the apparel, feeling the morning touches and kisses over her body. Chloe spoke quietly, "Morning, love." She kissed Max’s neck and then leaned over her, looking down at the woman. Max blinked and smiled. "Morning, leannán." Chloe leaned down and kissed Max’s chest again, then her lips. Max pushed Chloe’s hair out of the way as the diver whispered, "Love you." Max smiled again as her hand cradled Chloe’s cheek. She looked into incredible blue eyes, then drew her thumb across the woman’s lower lip and whispered, "My leannán." Max took one of Chloe’s hands and placed it over her heart. "Mo chroí, m'anam, mo ghrá." Chloe smiled and lightly wrinkled her nose, not knowing what it meant. Max gently hauled Chloe down and kissed her. "My lover, my heart, my soul, my love." Chloe then realized that Max had all along had been calling her lover. She let her body down, keeping her weight on a forearm and she kissed Max, letting the woman wrap her body around her, feeling her warmth once more.<br/>-------------------------------<br/>Rachel and Sloane walked towards the information center as Rachel sent out a text to Dana, letting her know she was okay. Dana had texted back that she would get an earful once she got home for scaring her. It had Sloane chuckling and teasing that Rachel was 'gonna get in so much trouble' once she walked into her own home. Once they had climbed the steps leading away from the lighthouse, they noticed the devastation and destruction to the park. Hundreds of fallen and uprooted trees had been tossed and missing throughout the area; not one tree remained upright. Rachel took out her phone and started taking pictures, stunned. "There's nothing left."<br/>The diver remarked, "Jesus, it’s crazy scary looking. It’s like a big bulldozer came along and ran everything down. So many nests and dens are gone." Rachel noted Sloane’s little frown.<br/>They continued on, going slowly as the path was no longer clear as they moved up and over what remained of the woodland.<br/>Moving into the forest further, they noticed the hurricane path's direction as it moved north towards the information center. Once they arrived at the crossroads, Rachel pointed. "Look, it’s still there." Sloane looked where Rachel was pointing. Octopus tree, with its long limbs, was still there.<br/>"Wow," Sloane remarked, "it doesn't look damaged too much. Good thing the hurricane didn't pass through here and the small bit of wooded area protected it." Sloane looked around, then quickly turned back with a spring in her step. "Come on." Both women headed in the direction of the tree.<br/>Sloane turned, walking backward, and pointed behind Rachel. The Lieutenant turned, realizing what Sloane was thinking. The coastline that had been hidden by trees was now visible.</p><p>Sloane clasped her hands together to hoist Rachel up into the base of the Octopus tree. The Lieutenant was only able to capture two images before her phone's battery ran out; then, she pocketed her phone as Sloane stated. "At least yah got two of the area. Let’s go." Rachel looked at her watch. "Why are you looking at your watch? Were you supposed to work today?"<br/>"No. No work today. I... uhh..." She curled a few loose strands of hair back over her ear, looking down at Sloane. "I’m giving them enough time?"<br/>"Huh?" Sloane looked confused. "Whaddya mean?"<br/>"Chloe and uhh, Max, to, uhmm..."<br/>Sloane’s confusion changed to annoyance once she figured out what Rachel was not stating, "Are you kidding me?!" Sloane threw her hands up in the air. "In the closet…"<br/>Rachel evaded Sloane’s gaze. The woman bounced her head side to side with her eyebrows raised and hummed, "Mmhmm."<br/>"Unbelievable. How… how in the hell?" Sloane walked around the Octopus tree’s clearing, rambling, with her arms animated, "How did she meet a woman who is smart as fuck, that can put up with her antics, who is also cute as a button." Sloane looked out over the clearing then blurted out, "Who are now having sex in a closet after a hurricane?! What am I saying? They probably had sex during the hurricane, too!" Sloane let out a groan, raising her head and closing her eyes. "AhhUuuhhh, why can’t I have hurricane sex and have someone to wake up to? Goddammit, Price." Sloane cursed her dive partner's good luck as she started to walk away. She waved for Rachel to follow. The Lieutenant jumped down with a grin and caught up with Sloane, listening to her pout. "I want closet sex." Rachel glanced at Sloane and kept her thoughts to herself.<br/>-------------------------------<br/>The two women took their time getting to the information center, arriving at the building just as Max and Chloe were walking out of the washroom. Chloe was buttoning her pants and zipping up when she saw the two beaten and battered women. "Shit, you guys okay?"<br/>Sloane greeted them unenthusiastically, not answering her question, "Oooh great, the two that got it on in a hurricane." Max hid her grin as Chloe replied, knowing that if Sloane had skipped how she was physically feeling, it meant she was fine. "And the morning after a hurricane, too."<br/>Sloane quickly responded again, a little annoyed, "Motherfu-" She stopped, dropped her shoulder and sighed, then went back into her monotone voice as Chloe held her smirk. "I’m gonna go pee. Here, I brought you two souvenirs." She held them out for Chloe to take. "Thought that you would’ve liked the memory of what happened. But somehow mini Cape Mears Lighthouse snow globes seem kinda mundane." Sloane pushed the washroom door open, finishing her sentence as she walked through, loudly saying, "Seeing as you had sexy times in a hurricane!"<br/>Rachel smiled and covered her mouth, loudly whispering, "She’s not taking it well," as she also walked towards the washroom.<br/>Chloe shook her snowglobe, put her arm around her love, then held it up for Max to see. "Cool."</p><p>With the groaning and pouting rant complete, the four came together to talk about what happened last night. Sloane took out a Hunnybun from the vending machine while listening to Chloe explain her and Max's side of the events. She tore off the wrapper and mindlessly offered first bite to Rachel, who placed her hand on Sloane’s and took a bite after asking Chloe another question. After their vending machine breakfast, the four left the information center and headed back to camp, where they lucked out. The area was not affected too badly by the winds and their gear that they'd stored away in the camping facilities was still intact. They gathered their supplies and headed down to the water.<br/>--------------------------------------<br/>"Um…" Chloe stood on the beach that was littered with driftwood and debris from the surrounding woodland, listening to someone on her phone, "Why the hell weren’t you answering your texts or your phone?! I called five times this morning!" Chloe opened her mouth to answer but bit her lip and her eyes looked over at Max, who was standing with Rachel a little way from them. Was havin’ sexy times in the closet.<br/>The woman on the phone demanded an answer, "Tell me you’re okay. That everyone is okay."<br/>"Ah, yeah, we’re… okay."<br/>"Chloe, you don’t sound okay."<br/>"Well."<br/>"Chloe, what happened, goddammit?! Sloane wasn’t answering her phone, either!"<br/>Chloe shifted her weight to her other leg and tilted her head to the side to explain, "Well, we did that thing we told you that we were going to do... ahh, taking the boat up the coastline to the park, then hiked up to the campgrounds, really nice hike, not too ba-"<br/>"Chloe, you’re rambling like Sloane and that’s freaking me out. What happened? Where’s Sloane?"<br/>"Ahh, she’s here. Kinda grumpy this morning, though. I gave her some money for a Hunnybun to feed her-"<br/>"Chloe." The woman on the other line had to take a controlled breath to not yell.<br/>"Sorry. Well, we got to the tree and used the porthole to peer through and we couldn’t figure it out. If this place was used as a starting point, it has changed; the whole area is a dense forest, not much to see. But we did take a bunch of pictures of the tree and the surrounding area, you would really like it up here, it-" Rachel was going to speak up about her two pictures but thought to bring it up later on, considering where the conversation was going to go. The Lieutenant's eyes once again wandered upward towards the treetops.<br/>"Chloe, rambling again," the woman said, being overheard by the three other women standing around.<br/>"Right."<br/>"So you guys got back in time before the storm hit the area. How does the bay lo-"<br/>"Ahh… no?" There was a pause in the call.<br/>"Chloe, where’s the boat?"<br/>"It’s here." There was another pause in the call.<br/>"Chloe. Where’s the boat?"<br/>Sloane stood by Chloe’s side, turned, and tried to walk away, but was stopped by Chloe hauling her new Cape Mears State Park hoodie by the hood, keeping her there. Chloe answered the question, "It’s about forty yards away from me..."<br/>There was a relieved sigh on the other line, "Oh thank God, I thou-"<br/>"-In some trees," Chloe then quickly added, "It’s-Sloane’s-fault." Chloe tried to spread the blame… it’s what dive partners do, of course.</p><p>Chloe jerked the phone away from her ear. The four women heard Victoria’s voice clearly, "WHAT?!" Chloe kept the phone away as Victoria went on a loud verbal rampage with Max and Rachel looking on, wide-eyed. Victoria yelled about the cost of the boat, how she put her trust in them, how shit always happens to them, how they could have died, how a Coast Guard Officer could have died, and how a Doctor of the university that they were hired by could have died. Then she went back to the cost of the boat again, with a slew of curse words in between… and one statement that Victoria was going to kick Chloe’s ass so hard that she would be flossing her teeth with her bootlaces. Chloe waited for silence on the other end, she then carefully put the phone up to her ear. She listened and nodded to her instructions, then looked over to someone else. "She, ahhh, doesn’t want to talk to me anymore." Chloe, ‘the scolded one,’ handed her phone over to Sloane. Her dive partner gave her a comforting smile and Chloe tried to step away as Sloane then grabbed her partner by the hoodie, also keeping her in place. She put the phone up to her ear. "Hey Vi-"<br/>"DON’T 'HEY VIC' ME!" Like Chloe, Sloane winced and put her head down and moved the phone away an arms length from her ear, getting the same tongue-lashing that Chloe did. The verbal rampage ended with Victoria asking, "Why the fuck did you not get out of there in time?!"<br/>"Uhmm, we would have if Lieutenant Amber-"<br/>Rachel froze, hearing her name brought into the discussion. Max looked at her, already wide-eyed and timid. Oh please, don’t ask to talk to me. Sloane continued, "-and me were assaulted and captured at gunpoint-"<br/>"WHAT?!"<br/>Sloane didn’t reply right away, thinking that Victoria would start yelling again. After a small pause, Sloane didn't put the phone to her ear but leaned her head forward towards the speaker and added, "I was also jabbed with a sedative needle, just puttin’ that out there."<br/>"WHAT?!"<br/>-------------------------------<br/>Sloane’s gift was giving detailed information when she rambled. If you listened closely enough, she gave out what you needed to know, you just had to look for it within the extra words. Victoria’s gift was being able to sieve through Sloane’s ramblings and prod her to stay on the specific topic as the woman's thoughts would sometimes be let out in her reports. Victoria was able to soak up the information, just hearing it once.<em> Jesus Christ, those two.</em> This evening the woman sat down in an old office. The walls were of dark hardwood, with portraits, Naval awards and decorations of a career served. Display pieces from around the world and library shelves were packed with one-of-a-kind or rare prints. A leather couch and two high back leather chairs, one of which she sat in, complemented the big hand carved hardwood office desk she sat across from. A hardened man with grey hair and a kept beard in his late fifties sat across from her. His steely green eyes stared back at her for a moment before he put his glass down and waited for a full explanation. Victoria glanced at a life size portrait of him in his military uniform on the wall to the right of them and took a sip of her water. "Your boat is forty yards inland, on top of some trees-" Victoria sitting with perfect posture, relayed Sloane's report with a glass in her lap. <em>It would be a cool treehouse, Boss Lady.</em> "-the reason why they didn’t leave in time to get away from the hurricane was that Sloane and a Coast Guard officer, that was accompanying them, Lieutenant Amber, were at the Cape Mears lighthouse getting pictures and video. It was there that Sloane was caught off guard and assaulted by one of the two unknown men. She was jabbed with what might have been a sedative in her thigh-" <em>I don't like needles</em> "-though she was able to incapacitate one of them-" <em>I had another nose bleed.</em> "-Before she passed out, she saw a second man with a gun pointed at the Lieutenant. The gunman killed his partner; they don’t know where the body is-" <em>Skeevy fucker probably tossed him.</em> "-Sloane speculates that the gunman pushed him off the cliff. She woke up in the lighthouse gift shop, handcuffed to the wall’s conduit pipes and the Lieutenant to the ceiling conduits." <em>I told Rachel a story and I chomped down on a cola can n’ made a shimmy, I’ll show you how I did it once you get back.</em> "-the Lieutenant was beaten, not enough to require medical attention, she actually did get in a punch and could have taken out the gunman before he drew his weapon on her. The gunman said, and I quote, ‘You’re going to tell me everything. I have enough time to get what I need’-" <em>I guess he ran out of time, get it… ran out of-</em> "-After the Lieutenant didn't divulge any information, the man left to pursue Chloe and Doctor Caulfield. Those two were in the park’s information center a short distance away, taking shelter and waiting for Sloane and the Lieutenant to return." <em>They had Hunnybuns in their vending machine. We really need to keep them on the ship, just saying, V… fiber at one gram per serving.</em> "The gunman confronted Chloe in the washroom. The Doctor, who had gone to use the facilities beforehand, was hiding behind the last stall, only because she had to close an open window using a janitorial mop. She saw him enter and took cover. The gunman and Chloe fought, two rounds went off into the room by him-" <em>I couldn’t get to her, Tori, I’m sorry, I wanted to, but the winds and my head was fuzzy, I really wanted to get to her,</em> "-Chloe lost her footing on the wet floor and fell, the gunman took advantage and aimed-" <em>Max fuckin’ karate chopped him in the arm with a mop, Kiai!</em> "-and was hit by Max… excuse me, Doctor Caulfield with the mop in the arm. He dropped the weapon and it gave Chloe enough time to counter-" <em>You remember that time when you tripped up on the sidewalk in Germany when we left that bar and your knee bent kinda backwards and I had to carry you on my back?</em> "-She was able to retrieve the gun, firing off two rounds into the washroom door and missing her target-" <em>The washroom has a peephole now and a really small glory hole.</em> "-Chloe pursued. The gunman ran out the information center-" <em>A mafuckin’ tree branch took him out and he stage-dived off the cliff.</em> "-where he was hit by flying debris. He tumbled over the low fencing that was around the viewpoint and fell off the cliff." Victoria paused and continued, "Chloe and the Doctor are fine. They took shelter in the center." <em>Victoria, they had sexy times in the closet.</em> "Sloane and Lieutenant Amber were fine in the lighthouse." <em>I got you a souvenir snow globe from the once-standing giftshop... hey, wanna hear a joke?</em> "I don’t know how much damage is done to the boat because they can’t get to it-" <em>I dunno, maybe the height of a giraffe?</em> "-it’s about twenty feet up in the trees. "Property damage in the information center is to the washroom floor, wall, door and outer concrete wall." <em>Victoria, sexy times… in the closet.</em> "And some, apparel, may have been-" <em>Sexy. Times...</em> "-used. Sloane’s property damage is to the conduit pipes of a historical site…" <em>It flew away like Toto and that chick</em> "-scratch that, the historical building was part of the gift shop that was completely destroyed by the hurricane."<em> We made a fort with the bed and mattress. The Lieutenant put a bandage on my butt.</em> Victoria ended her report and took another sip of her water. She had her own thoughts for a few moments. <em>Every time I leave, something happens to those two. I was only gone for three days. Actually, two and half.</em><br/>The hardened, retired military man that sat across from Victoria stared with no emotion. He picked up his drink and brought it to his lips. "And you thought this was going to be a boring job."<br/>Victoria rolled her eyes. "Dad."<br/>"What?" He took a sip and smiled.<br/>"They damaged a historical building."<br/>"That is no longer there."<br/>"Put bullet holes in a building."<br/>"That can be fixed."<br/>"And destroyed a two hundred thousand dollar boat."<br/>"I…" He furrowed his brow, taking in that information. "You’re right… Get them to send pictures. I want the guys to see this," he said chuckling, knowing he had a great story to tell his old military buddies.<br/>"Dad!" Victoria blurted out.<br/>"Honey," The father replied and slightly pointed with his hand, still holding his drink. "They fought, evaded death, and two survived capture and did all of it through a damn hurricane. Yes, an expensive piece of equipment is-" Both father and daughter said simultaneously in amazement, "Up in the trees." The height of a giraffe. "But," he continued, "the two Chiefs, the Lieutenant and Doctor are alive." He sat back in his chair, seeing that his daughter was not satisfied with his reaction, so he continued, "I want Chief Price’s and Chief Black’s description of the men that came after them. I’ll get someone to look into it and notify the lawyers. You can call the insurance and put in the claim for the boat," He took another sip of his drink. "And get Kelly to make a contribution to the state park from The Chase Foundation for me." He turned his chair slightly to look at his wall of pictures, reliving his memories. "God, I wish I was half my age again and to be with them right now."<br/>"Dad!" Victoria once again blurted out. Her father's years of dangerous 'adventuring' had come to an end.<br/>An older woman walked into the office with a warm smile on her face. "Victoria, let your father have some fun by living through your crew; he misses his adventures." She walked around to join her husband and kissed him on the forehead. "Brunch is served, by the way."<br/>Victoria asked in awe, "What are you missing? You told me two weeks ago that you had to run away from a hippopotamus when you were taking pictures."<br/>Her father’s eyes lit up, excited to tell the story. "Honey, it was amazing. It just sprung up out of the water, thirty yards away from me!" He pointed at her with his finger, somewhat seriously, to tell her some fatherly advice, "Those Danger Water Cows are fast on land, let me tell you-"<br/>"Danger Water Co-," Victoria furrowed her brow. "Have you been talking with Sloane?!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Extraction</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Chase had returned two days later after hurricane Raymond had torn through the west coast. Arcadia Bay was hit but the townsfolk were ready. Hurricanes came up the coast every four years or so; it wasn’t something they didn’t know how to handle. There was much clean-up to be done around town from fallen trees, house siding torn away from homes, and general debris.</p>
<p>For the ones that didn’t retrieve them, some fishermen went back out to the ocean to check their crab pots, hoping that they were still there. The Coast Guard was busy with call-in reports of hazards in the bay and the five-mile stretch out to the ocean. There were a couple of unlucky fishermen who'd lost their boats that weren't properly tied to the docks, completely submerged, and it was heartbreaking for the families. The fishery in the bay had been slowly dying over the years. The government had to step in and force a moratorium, restricting the amount of specific fish or crab that were caught. It left families without enough money to live for a year, forcing the fisherman to go on unemployment for a few months until a specific fishing season started that they could get a license for. During their layup time, there wasn’t much work around town.</p>
<p>Sean Prescott, over the past three years at town hall meetings, would bring up his idea of turning Arcadia Bay into a tourist spot with new vacation homes. Homes, he said, that could be built by retrained fishermen who were not out at sea during that time. His idea for the first two years was consistently turned down. However, by the third year, some families became interested. It meant work and that meant money coming into their household to keep their family in the Bay. Others saw the writing on the wall, and to the benefit of Sean, he would offer to buy the family’s land at a significantly reduced cost as no one was moving into the Bay area. Some households took the lowball offer and moved away from the coastline. For Sean Prescott, having a hurricane come through meant opportunities were going to come his way.</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>Chloe mumbled. She hated this. It was like a kick in the butt; it wasn’t her fault, nor was it Sloane’s. <em> This is worse than scrubbing the toilets</em>.</p>
<p>When both Chloe and Sloane stepped back onto The Chase, they were given their new worklist and schedules. There was much to do. An inspection of the OceanBay grid had to be checked and any missing grids or ones that were out of place had to be reset before the project could proceed. That meant long hours for the dive crew. Unfortunately, when you put an expensive boat up into the trees, there were going to be consequences. The Chase had docked once again during the grid assessment. Both Chloe and Sloane were directed by the Divemaster to clean the boat’s outer hull if they were not working. For the past two days, the two grounded women were underwater doing a clean-up. <em> Fuckin’ barnacles, </em> Chloe said in her head as she pressure washed an area. If they were not cleaning the outer hull, they cleaned the interior with the smallest of toothbrushes, as directed by the Captain.</p>
<p>Chloe sighed; getting grounded sucked for so many reasons. It was worse with Max not around. She hadn’t seen her for the past two days, not because she couldn’t see her after her work schedule, but because she was back at the university doing a small conference with Mark and Warren about the project. Chloe had become worried when she found out Max was going to be gone for a few days. With what had happened at the state park, it was evident that someone was still after the map. They'd reported the two men at the park to the state police, but kept the map private. What Chloe had last heard was that the investigation was ongoing. Victoria, or rather The Chase's lawyers, relayed the information that the police suspected that the unknown men were from a drug ring. An old camping RV was found abandoned in the park, licensed to an ex-felon. The same ex-felon that happened to be lying in a coma at Tillimook’s medical center, Frank Bowers. Chloe hoped that whoever sent the two men was rethinking about their pursuing any further, seeing as how three out of the four people that were sent to kill them were now dead. It still didn’t comfort her.</p>
<p>Max was still alone up there. If they came after them in the park, they could still come after her in Portland. That’s where Victoria helped out; she'd hired Max a personal security guard disguised as a personal assistant. Victoria also took other necessary precautions of informing the university security. Max never realized she had a small platoon of people watching out for her. It still didn’t help Max or Chloe sleep better at night; being away from each other was a new, unwelcome hurdle. The days of cleaning with nothing else on her mind made Chloe’s thoughts wander to ‘what if’s.’ She was taken out of another what-if moment when Sloane swam over and pointed at her watch. Chloe sighed again and turned off the pressure washer. <em> Another day, another dollar, another day without you in my arms </em> ... <em> fuckin’ hate barnacles</em>.</p>
<p>The two women came topside and took off their equipment. In the distance, they heard the sound of the Osprey flying up the coastline. Both turned and saw the aircraft in what Chloe called ‘Hellamode,’ carrying back one 'tree' boat. The boat was placed in the dry dock warehouse location for The Chase's team of mechanics to assess for damage. Both women turned back and noticed from above deck Victoria looking at the aircraft. She then directed her attention at the two divers and, like children, they put their heads down and walked in to get their supper. With the scolded ‘kids’ glared at and the silent treatment given to them, Victoria went back to watching the boat getting lowered. She took a sip of her tea, turned and walked back into the bridge. <em> Why the hell do I miss all the fun? </em></p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>Later that evening, Sloane was on her hands and knees, scrubbing away and mumbling to herself, “Who is the mafucker that's cutting their toenails in the shower?” The sound of two kids’ toothbrushes in The Chase’s shower room echoed out through the doorway that she'd diligently cleaned. “Grout build up in this corner… I don’t even want to think about cleaning the shower drain.” Sloane shivered at the thought as she regripped her My Little Pony toothbrush.</p>
<p>“Dude, we can totally trade,” Chloe said with her hand in a toilet bowl, scrubbing away with a SpongeBob toothbrush.</p>
<p>“That drain is going to give me nightmares,” Sloane replied. “Should just take Boatie McBoatFace out to sea, sink it and get a new one.” There was the sound of someone clearing their throat as both divers stopped their scrubbing and looked up.</p>
<p>“Oh hey, Boss Lady,” Sloane said.</p>
<p>Victoria hummed unenthusiastically, then took a sip of her tea. She turned to walk down the corridor and called over her shoulder, “Get cleaned up and meet me in Lab 2 in 10.”</p>
<p>-------------------</p>
<p>Chloe opened the door to Lab 2 and both women walked in. Victoria and Steph sat at a lab table, looking ahead at a monitor on the wall. “Close the door behind you,” Victoria asked. Sloane closed the door and she, along with Chloe, looked at the monitor that displayed a photo that Rachel had taken of the state park area after the storm.</p>
<p>“S’up?” Chloe asked, looking at the picture and taking a seat at the table.</p>
<p>“Going over the photos and we've noticed something,” Victoria replied.</p>
<p>With interest, the two divers looked back at Victoria. The blonde slid the porthole across the table. “Take a look.” Chloe picked up the porthole as Victoria continued, “Open it up and look through the top piece.” The diver held it in her palm of her hand, opened the top, then looked through as Victoria pointed at the monitor. “You'll have to back up to get it in position, Rachel only captured part of it.” Chloe took a few steps back in the room, looking at the monitor through the porthole. She stopped mid-step when things started to line up, “The scratch marks… shiiit…” Chloe looked at Victoria then Steph. “They were purposefully made.” She handed the device over to Sloane for her to take a look. “They’re key markings.”</p>
<p>Steph spoke up, “Bancroft knew that the coastline would be ever-changing, so it seems that he used the surrounding mountains and cliffs and possibly bigger rock formations. If we can get a better picture-”</p>
<p>Sloane looked from the porthole and to the group. “Is this the only picture we have of that spot?”</p>
<p>Victoria nodded. “The Lieutenant only had two, the other was of the opposite direction.”</p>
<p>The group looked at the photo displayed on the monitor again as Chloe spoke, “We need to get more, to see if the rest line up.”</p>
<p>Victoria lifted her glass tea mug to take a sip. Sloane wrinkled her nose, looking confused, “Are you drinking a sea urchin?!” </p>
<p>Victoria, Steph and Chloe looked at the teacup. “What?” Victoria looked at Sloane, confused. “It’s hibiscus tea.</p>
<p>Sloane looked skeptical. “I could’ve gotten you urchins on our last div-”</p>
<p>“It’s not a sea urchin.”</p>
<p>Chloe added, “I dunno, V, it kinda does look like it-”</p>
<p>Victoria looked at Steph, who was chuckling and nodding.</p>
<p>“Oh, fuck you guys.”</p>
<p>“What’s with the change to tea, by the way?” Sloane asked.</p>
<p>Victoria took another sip. “You two are giving me high blood pressure.”</p>
<p>The two divers raised their eyebrows, concerned. “Vic, shit.” Chloe looked at Sloane then back to Victoria.</p>
<p>Victoria rolled her eyes. “Jesus, you two, it’s just to, uhmm, try something not caffeinated. Doc told me I was drinking too much caffeine.”</p>
<p>“So you’re drinking sea urchins to calm yourself,” Sloane said with a grin.</p>
<p>Victoria whispered at the teasing, “Oh my God-” She put her tea down. “I’m gonna get a sea urchin and shove it up your ass.”</p>
<p>“Does your hubby know you like butt play?” Sloane grinned. The three women chuckled.</p>
<p>“Getting back to the picture...” Victoria smiled and lightly shook her head as she moved the meeting along. “You two are tagging along tomorrow. One of you will get dropped off at the site-” Chloe and Sloane immediately played rock, paper, scissors to find out who would be dropped off. With Sloane the loser, Victoria continued, “Right, Chloe will be on the ground.” She pointed to Sloane. “And you will be my third spotter to get the last town's submerged boat out.” The two divers nodded as Victoria closed the laptop. The picture disappeared from the monitor. “Is Doctor Caulfield back tomorrow?” </p>
<p>Chloe smiled widely, “Yeah, should be here early morning.” The three other women in the room looked at Chloe. Steph leaned towards Victoria. “See, I told you she looks like a dork,” she said, teasing.</p>
<p>Victoria chuckled into her tea, “She’s like an excited puppy.”</p>
<p>Sloane added, “Thank God she’s back; emo, anxious, brooding Price is too much.”</p>
<p>Chloe furrowed her brow. “Oh screw you guys, I’m not emo, angsty, or brooding.”</p>
<p>Steph mumbled, “Says the lady listening to, and I quote you, ‘hippy acoustic music,’ the past few days.”</p>
<p>“What? She likes it, and it’s kinda nice,” Chloe countered.</p>
<p>Sloane outwardly snorted, “Oh shit, you’ve fallen so hard. She’s turned you goopy, like a sea cucumber.” Steph and Victoria chuckled.</p>
<p>“I’m not a squishy sea cucumber,” Chloe retorted, annoyed.</p>
<p>“Fine… an emo blobfish.”</p>
<p>Steph laughed again, even more, when Chloe hit Sloane in the arm. “Asshole, I’m not emo or a blobfish.”</p>
<p>Victoria added, “So you didn’t purposefully sit by yourself for supper and brood into your mashed potatoes.”</p>
<p>“I need space from you assholes… I wonder why...” Chloe glared at her friends.</p>
<p>The three chuckled as Victoria continued, “Since your Doctor will be here early tomorrow, see if she wants to tag along. Wouldn’t want to endure any more 'teenage suffering.'”</p>
<p>Chloe whipped out her phone and eagerly texted with a huge smile. Sloane looked at her, then the two others, rolled her eyes and walked out the door. Chloe got up without looking from her phone and followed her dive partner, with Steph trailing behind. “Be ready at nine,” Victoria stated as the three left. In the distance, she heard Sloane, “I hate how ridiculously happy you are right now.” Victoria took another sip of her tea and took out her phone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>TEXTuя</strong>
  <br/>
  <strong>🔱Victoria 🠆 ⚓Rachel</strong>
</p>
<p><strong>Victoria:</strong> You have a shift tomorrow?</p>
<p><strong>Rachel:</strong> No, Ensign Yard is scheduled to do the<br/>              watch shift. Why?</p>
<p><strong>Victoria:</strong> One of the pictures you took was useful. <br/>              We’re heading back up, care to join?</p>
<p><strong>Rachel:</strong> You’re also going? </p>
<p><strong>Victoria:</strong> I’m not letting those two lead anything</p>
<p><strong>Rachel:</strong> Saw the boat lifted in. How much damage?</p>
<p><strong>Victoria:</strong> Minor, but don’t tell them that, I just had<br/>               the showers cleaned. Hoping to get<br/>               the hull clear of barnacles soon<br/><strong>Victoria:</strong> image003.jpg</p>
<p><strong>Rachel:</strong> You are ruthless<br/><strong>Rachel:</strong> Are those kids toothbrushes?</p>
<p><strong>Victoria:</strong> Damn right.</p>
<p>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>The Osprey hovered over a large patch of grass in the Cape Mears state park. Chloe lifted up her microphone on her headset, then leaned down, pushed Max's down and kissed her, who sat across from Rachel in the cargo area. Chloe then turned to walk towards Sloane, standing by the open loading door. Max and Rachel watched Sloane do a safety check on Chloe’s harness, then hooked up the woman, checked her line, and gave her a thumbs up. Chloe replied with one of her own.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Osprey’s comms 1</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> Set.</p>
<p><b>Chloe:</b> Set.</p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> See you in a few, back her.</p>
<p><b>Chloe:</b> Aye.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chloe looked behind her, smiled, and winked at Max, getting a little smile and wave back.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Max:</b> Be careful.</p>
<p><b>Chloe:</b> See you in a few, love.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She turned back to Sloane and her dive partner looked over the taller woman’s shoulder with a smile.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> Don’t worry, I’ll take care of Maxie, keep her safe n’ warm.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chloe turned back to Max and pointed her finger at Sloane.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Chloe:</b> Don’t take any candy from this woman.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sloane winked at the Doctor.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Victoria:</b> Get a move-on, you two.</p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> Aye.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chloe took off her headset and handed it to Sloane who hung it up next to her on the wall. She put on a beanie then the two divers gave each other a fist bump. Chloe walked to the edge of the loading door with her line.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> At the door.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chloe turned and backed up, then leaned on the edge and jumped back, lowering herself down to the ground from the aircraft hovering fifty feet above one of the hurricane-flattened areas.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> Rappelling...Rappelling...Rappelling halfway down...Rappelling...Rappelling</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chloe touched the ground.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> On deck</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She unhooked the carabiners then backed away from the aircraft.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> Unhooked</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chloe then waved at Sloane to give her the all-clear sign and started to proceed to the Octopus Tree.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> Clear and on the move.</p>
<p><b>Victoria:</b> Roger</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chloe put on another smaller-eared headset, switched on her radio and headed off to her destination. Sloane hauled up the line as Victoria moved away from the area. The aircraft headed for the small state’s park pier to finish their last job of lifting a local submerged boat from the water. Sloane closed the loading door and packed the line away. She walked up to Max and sat down next to her. Sloane smirked as she dug into her cargo pocket and hauled out a wrapped candy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> Candy?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Max tilted her head and looked at Slown and smiled, taking it. Sloane turned towards Rachel who sat across from her and took out one for her also.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> Livin’ dangerously.</p>
<p><b>Rachel:</b> If you laced these and we wake up somewhere...</p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> Ha! I didn’t lace them with GHB.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Max giggled and put the Jolly Rancher candy in her mouth with Sloane watching her. The diver then smirked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> They’re laced with THC.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Max stopped sucking at the candy and went wide-eyed. Both Rachel and Sloane laughed.</p>
<p>---------------------------</p>
<p>For the next while, both Rachel and Max watched The Chase flight crew hook up a boat to a harness from the ground crew below. The submerged boat was lifted out of the water and then loaded on a waiting flatbed truck.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Comms 2</b>
</p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> Unhooked and clear. </p>
<p><b>Victoria:</b> Roger.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Victoria elevated the Osprey and headed back to the Cape Mears park to pick up Chloe.</p>
<p>Steph switched to another radio channel.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Comms 3</b>
</p>
<p><b>Steph:</b> Price, come in.</p>
<p>.<br/>..<br/>…</p>
<p><b>Steph:</b> Price, come in.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Victoria looked over at her copilot.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Victoria:</b> Check the other channel, she probably didn’t switch.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Steph switched to the other channel and tried again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Comms 4</b>
</p>
<p><b>Steph:</b> Price, come in.</p>
<p><b>Steph:</b> Chloe?</p>
<p>.<br/>..<br/>…</p>
<p>Steph looked at Victoria.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Steph:</b> Chloe, come in.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There was a short reply of static, then a grunt followed by what sounded like panting.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Steph:</b> Chloe, come in, we’re on our way back.</p>
<p>.<br/>..</p>
<p>Victoria looked over at Steph, she opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Chloe:</b> Someone is shooting at me!</p>
<p><b>Steph:</b> Chloe!</p>
<p><b>Chloe:</b> <em>*Static*.... *panting*...</em> <em>*Static* </em>Fuck!<em> *gunshot* *Static*</em></p>
<p><b>Steph:</b> Chloe, where are you?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Steph leaned out the cockpit doorway, again switching to a different channel.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Steph:</b> Slo.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sloane laughed with the two ladies in the back. She looked at Steph when she called to her. The co-pilot, with her hand, gave her a signal and Sloane switched her channel.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Chloe:</b> <em> *Panting* </em> I don’t know who is shooting. Get me the fuck outta here!</p>
<p><b>Victoria:</b> We’re coming to you, can you get to the parking lot?</p>
<p>.<br/>..</p>
<p><b>Chloe:</b> <em>*static*... *gunshot*  *static*</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sloane sat up, staring at nothing and attentively listening to her headset. Her happiness was gone. Rachel noticed and she stopped laughing. Max noticed Rachel stare at Sloane. The Archaeologist looked as Sloane unbuckled from her seat and went to the cockpit with Max and Rachel looking at her then at each other.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Comms 1</b>
</p>
<p><b>Rachel:</b> What’s wrong?</p>
<p><b>Max:</b> Slo?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They spoke to her but didn’t get an answer.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Comms 4</b>
</p>
<p><b>Chloe:</b> <em>*Static*</em> Lighthouse. I’m going there.<em>*Static*</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Steph looked at Victoria, who nodded and adjusted her course.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Steph:</b> Understood, we will be there.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Steph turned to Sloane, who was leaning into the cockpit. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Steph:</b> Prepare for an immediate extraction, Chloe is taking on fire.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sloane stepped back from the cockpit doorway, turned ninety degrees and opened the side door to use the winch. Rachel and Max watched her as she talked to Steph again, the two passengers couldn’t hear the conversation. The look Sloane had on her face scared the both of them and Rachel instantly checked for her gun at her hip.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Comms 1</b>
</p>
<p><b>Max: </b>Rachel?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sloane waited, taking a knee by the open door, looking for her partner. With her back turned to Max, Sloane glanced at Rachel, who was looking at her. Sloane was not happy, it was the face Rachel recognized in a picture of her in full military gear. The Lieutenant felt her stomach drop, she then looked over at Max.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Comms 1</b>
</p>
<p><b>Max:</b> Rachel, what’s going on?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rachel looked back at Sloane, then to Max. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Rachel:</b> I don’t know.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Lieutenant unbuckled from her seat and stepped over to sit next to Max and bucked back up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Max:</b> Something’s wrong, is Chloe okay? Why isn’t Sloane answering?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rachel and Max watched Sloane stand up quickly and look out the side door, yelling.</p>
<p>-------------------</p>
<p>
  <b>Comms 4</b>
</p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> I see her, she’s taking fire! Gunman, fifty-yards behind. Vic, I need to help her!</p>
<p>.<br/>..</p>
<p>Sloane watched as the gunman stopped running and brought his rifle up to his shoulder.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> Chloe, take cover!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chloe dove to the ground, taking cover underneath some fallen trees.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> He’s behind you about fifty yards, keep moving!</p>
<p><b>Chloe:</b> Fuck!</p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> They had to sling their weapon to follow you through the fallen trees. Get moving.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chloe kept moving, crawling under the fallen trees. She panted for air as tree branches scraped her face. She heard the Osprey overhead, her angel in the sky, it was the sound that comforted her. <em> They’re here, help me! </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> Keep moving. Cable is out… Keep low, they’re still on your six. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sloane watched the person shoulder their rifle again, this time it pointed towards the aircraft.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> 3 o’clock, ground fire!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Max and Rachel felt the aircraft bank down and to the left. Max gasped and grabbed hold of Rachel’s arm, terrified, as her stomach felt lighter and their feet left the ground. They both felt their bodies fall back into their seats as the aircraft quickly dropped past the cliff’s ledge. Sloane gripped tighter on the grab handle by the door, immediately feeling the shift in weight. Victoria gritted her teeth.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Comms 4</b>
</p>
<p><b>Victoria:</b> Motherfucker is shooting at me!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The aircraft leveled out below the cliff and out of firing range.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Max looked at Rachel, scared.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chloe pumped her legs, willing herself to run faster. She watched the Osprey fall away and disappear below the cliff. <em> No! </em> She kept moving forward. She jumped down multiple stairs to the lighthouse and saw the Osprey come back into view with Sloane out the side door with her line. Chloe, in three movements, was up and over the lighthouse’s chest-high fencing. She ran to reach the cable that dragged on the ground, moving along the cliff’s edge away from her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Comms 4</b>
</p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> Clip on!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her dive partner leaned down and fell on her knees, grabbing the cable. She clipped her carabiners and gave them a couple of tugs to confirm that it was clipped on. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Chloe:</b> I’m on!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chloe turned and saw the gunman coming over the crest of the hill. She had only one exit. Sloane and Victoria watched Chloe pick herself off the ground and run. In two big strides... </p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Victoria:</b> Jesus Christ!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chloe leapt off the cliff.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Chloe:</b> Ooh fuuuck!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chloe’s stomach lurched, seeing the ocean and rocks below. She grabbed the cable and hoped she was attached correctly. The cable tightened with the added weight and she let out a grunt as she swung underneath the aircraft fifty feet below.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Steph looked to her left, her eyes widened as she saw another helicopter (Bell 206.) Its side door was open and a man aimed a rifle. He fired and hit the side of the Osprey.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Steph:</b> 9 o’clock we're taking fire from the air!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Again the passengers felt the immediate weight change. Sloane held on and pushed the button for the winch to retrieve their precious cargo. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Victoria:</b> What the fuck is going on?!</p>
<p><b>Steph:</b> B206, rifleman.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Victoria looked at Steph, angry as she maneuvered away from the cliff and the other helicopter.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Victoria:</b> Sloane, you have permission.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Steph took off her seat belt and got up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Steph:</b> B206, rifleman, we are taking fire.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rachel and Max watched Steph instantly emerge from the cockpit. She took Sloane’s place by the door as the dive partner turned. Both passengers watched the unhappy woman. Sloane walked to the loading door, hit the open button and the loading door began to open. She walked back and knelt on the opposite side of Max and Rachel. She opened a long rectangular box, Rachel knew what was inside.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Comms 1</b>
</p>
<p><b>Max:</b> Sloane, what is going on?... Sloane?... Rachel?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rachel watched Sloane talking into her headset. The Lieutenant leaned over and switched her comms to another channel, hearing Sloane in mid-conversation.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Comms 4</b>
</p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> -loading door.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rachel turned Max’s comms over to the secondary channel and then put her finger up to her mouth for Max to be quiet.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Steph:</b> She’s at ten feet below cabin.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Max’s eyes went wide as she saw Sloane take out a rifle (<a class="hoverZoomLink" href="https://i.imgur.com/Dd0o0qT.jpg"> Barrett XM107A1 </a>). The archaeologist grabbed hold of Rachel’s hand and looked at her. Sloane flicked out the rifle’s bipod, stood up and walked over to the loading bridge. She took a prone position, put a magazine in and hauled back on the bolt, chambering a round. She then placed the rifle stock against her shoulder and flicked off the rifle’s safety.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> Queen, I am in position.</p>
<p><b>Victoria:</b> Roger.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rachel nudged Max with her elbow, watching as Steph hauled Chloe in. Once Chloe was onboard and unhooked, Steph closed the side door.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Steph:</b> Queen, She’s on board.</p>
<p><b>Victoria:</b> Roger that.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The passengers felt their weight change again with the aircraft dipping down.</p>
<p>Steph knelt over Chloe, checking her over.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Steph:</b> Are you okay?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chloe nodded, breathing heavily. Steph attached a safety line to her as the diver leaned back against the aircraft’s hull, getting her breath back. Steph gave Chloe's arm a squeeze, relieved to have her back. She returned to her seat and radioed for the local authorities. Chloe turned to see Rachel and Max looking at her. Max looked terrified. Chloe then looked at Sloane, surprised at seeing her armed and a helicopter coming into view.</p>
<p>Sloane, steely-eyed, had her target. The other helicopter pilot spotted Sloane and instantly, banked downward upon seeing what awaited them. The pilot hadn’t reacted in time; there was a loud shot, both Max and Rachel flinched, hearing it over the aircraft’s engines and their headsets. The pursuing helicopter immediately started emitting smoke from its engine exhaust.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> Hit. Aircraft is descending under heavy smoke.</p>
<p><b>Victoria:</b> Roger.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sloane placed the safety back on and picked up the empty shell that rolled on the floor. She leaned back to kneel.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Victoria:</b> Secondary target.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The safety was flicked off again.</p>
<p>Victoria looked at Steph then turned the aircraft around, going back to the gunman on the ground. Steph spotted him and pointed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Steph:</b> Sloane at my ten.</p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> Aye.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The ground gunman was already running towards a truck that was hidden on a small pathway.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Victoria:</b> Blue pickup in the trees. Disable it.</p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> Roger.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Victoria flew past the truck and maneuvered into position. Sloane got into a sitting position, watched the man toss his rifle into the back of the pickup and open the driver’s side door. Sloane brought the rifle to her shoulder and fired off another round, putting a large hole in the hood and into the engine block.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Sloane:</b> Vehicle disabled. Gunman is running into the woods east of us, he left his rifle behind.</p>
<p><b>Victoria:</b> Roger that, we’re outta here. <br/>She glanced at Steph. <br/><b>Victoria: </b>Notify the police of what happened and the direction he was headed. Not pursuing. I don't know how much damage we took.</p>
<p>Steph nodded and flicked a few switches on the radio.</p>
<p><b>Steph:</b> Aye.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sloane put the rifle's safety back on, pocked another shell then stood up and hit the button to close the loading doors. She turned and saw Chloe on her knees in front of Max with the smaller woman grabbing her in for a hug. Rachel looked up at Sloane, seeing her anger slowly dissipate and being replaced with worry. Sloane turned away when she noticed Rachel watching her and tended to her rifle.</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>With the Osprey back on the ground at the Coast Guard's pad, the blades slowed to a stop. The two pilots sat for a moment, being silent and looking out the window. Steph held out her hand for Victoria to take. Victoria took it, still looking out the window, and squeezed.<br/>"You have to tell them," Steph quietly said, "You can't do this."</p>
<p>Victoria remained silent, then nodded and placed her hand on her stomach, letting out a breath of air. She quietly replied, "Yeah." She took another controlled breath, happy for everyone to be back and safe.</p>
<p>Rachel and Max waited outside the aircraft when Chloe asked them to give the four crewmembers a few minutes. The four in a circle in the cargo bay held a friend's hand. It was their tradition they started when they all served together. When they or one of them came back from being in danger. No words had to be spoken they would sometimes remain quiet and take in the fact that they were all back together, safe.</p>
<p>Chloe smirked with her head down, "I guess I can check that one off my bucket list."</p>
<p>Steph giggled then Sloane smirked with Victoria smiling and adding, "Well, it wasn't a STARS (surface-to-air recovery system) lift like Sloane's-"</p>
<p>Chloe, with a smile, lifted her head and raised her eyebrow. "Well technically the list states, to be swung from an aircraft as it flies."</p>
<p>"True," Victoria chuckled. She then glanced at Steph and let go of the woman's hand, along with Sloane's. "You can cross it off your list." She took a breath of air and let it out. "I'm just happy the… seven, of us are back on the ground in one piece."</p>
<p>Sloane smiled, hummed and nodded her head. "Mmm." Then the nodding stopped and one eye closed a little and she slightly tilted her head confused. "You mean six."</p>
<p>Victoria calmly replied, "No. I mean seven."</p>
<p>Chloe, confused, looked at Sloane then at Victoria. The two divers watched as Victoria placed a hand onto her stomach. "Seven." The two divers looked at the placement of Victoria's hand then slowly looked up, understanding. "I'm just over three months."</p>
<p>Sloane's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open with a huge smile. Chloe, on the other hand, had a serious face and asked, "Is it mine?" Steph started laughing as Victoria rolled her eyes. Sloane turned her head to Chloe. "Victoria, how could you cheat on me with this, this sea urchin?"<br/>It was Chloe's turn for her mouth to drop open. "How dare you?" Victoria smiled, then her eyes widened as she took a step back as the two divers lunged at her and dropped to their knees.</p>
<p>Max, from the outside, asked Rachel, "What the hell is going on?"</p>
<p>Rachel looked at Max, then at the four women. "I, I don't know."</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>Victoria, with no emotion in her voice, spoke, "Sloane, your hand is on my ass."</p>
<p>Sloane smiled. "I know exactly where it is," the diver said, hugging the woman from her knees, looking at Victoria's stomach.</p>
<p>Chloe, next to Sloane, with her index finger, rubbed at a little spot on Victoria's stomach with a smile.</p>
<p>Victoria looked down at her divers then gave up without even trying. "Well you took it better then she did."</p>
<p>Chloe and Sloane looked at one another then turned their heads and looked at Steph. Steph simply replied, "Wut?"</p>
<p>Victoria explained, "Yeah, she cried like a baby."</p>
<p>Steph, with glassy eyes, held her emotions, happy to hear the news again. "Shut the hell up."</p>
<p>Chloe and Sloane looked at one another again, giggling. "So what do you think we should get her then?" Chloe asked.</p>
<p>"Hmm, I don't know."</p>
<p>"I say mask first."</p>
<p>Sloane nodded. "Oh for sure. Then maaaybe, say after two weeks of training. we get her first snorkel."</p>
<p>Chloe tilted her head and happily smiled. "Aww."</p>
<p>Victoria didn't know where to put her hands so she held them above the two women on their knees, hugging her and stated. "My child is not-"</p>
<p>Sloane looked up. "Hey this Lil' Guppy is gonna learn to not only be a kick-ass pilot but also part fish."</p>
<p>Victoria smiled at the thought of what her child's possibilities would be in the future. Sloane stopped speaking and looked at Chloe. "Holy shit!"</p>
<p>"What?" Chloe replied.</p>
<p>"We're making a real life Lara Croft!"</p>
<p>Both Chloe's and Steph's eyes widened at the thought.</p>
<p>"Nope," Victoria said, getting the three's attention. "This one's a Chase."</p>
<p>Sloane stood and gave Victoria a proper hug. "Congratulations, Victoria."</p>
<p>"Thank you," Victoria replied, feeling her emotions rise. She held back her tears.</p>
<p>Chloe, still on her knees, moved her face closer to Victoria's stomach. "I will always have jelly beans for you."</p>
<p>"Oh my god, Chief, on your feet," Victoria stated. Chloe got to her feet, giggling, and hugged Victoria, with Sloane still wrapping her in a hug. Steph, fighting back her tears, saw</p>
<p>Victoria wave her over and she lunged herself at the group. "You're gonna be a great mom."</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>“Fucking imbeciles!” Sean yelled in his office. His plan was simple: revenge for killing three of his men and to make a point that he was not to be toyed with and that he could also push back. It failed miserably. He calmed his nerves, sat down at his desk, and picked up his phone, placing yet another call.</p>
<p>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>When the police arrived at the state park they found a burned-out helicopter on the shoreline and no bodies. They performed a search for the other gunman but he’d easily had enough distance by the time police arrived. The police stated that the helicopter was reported stolen over three years ago and the blue pick up, two months before.</p>
<p>Chloe wasn’t able to get the pictures they needed. Victoria said they would put a hold on the side project until the authorities finished their investigation of the state park before they would try again.</p>
<p>The Chase crew were once again answering questions from the police. They gave their reports of the event, then not too long after, The Chase’s lawyers stepped in. The police stumbled over their inept shortcomings, especially when the blue pickup was mistakenly sent to the junkyard and destroyed before any evidence could be obtained. For public inquiries, they stuck to their ongoing investigation that the park was used as a storage and drop area for drugs. They were convinced that the hurricane must have uncovered an underground bunker and the individuals involved were rushing to get the drugs moved before they were caught by the authorities.</p>

<p></p><div>
  <p> </p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Ga’-srvsr See</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Max sat back in a chair at the Blackwell Library with a tea. It was an area of the school that didn’t see many students in this day and age. She finished up some paperwork for the university and sent an email to Warren and Mark about tomorrow’s schedule, then looked at the time. <em> She’s still working </em>. Max smirked a little at the ‘work’ Chloe was doing for the past few days, even under protest and getting shot at, Chloe and Sloane were not getting out of cleaning the ship’s hull. The archaeologist got up and strolled around the almost empty room, deciding to stay and finish her tea before heading out to The Chase.</p>
<p>Max looked at various pictures and paintings on display by local artists and a small collection of Native American beadwork, tools, and arrowheads that were excavated in the Arcadian area. She smiled, thinking of when she was a child in her grandfather’s backyard, digging through the dirt on her birthday for her gift. She looked up at a picture on the wall and noticed that was taken around the dormitory grounds; there, she saw a totem in the upper right-hand corner. Next to that picture was the close up of the totem pole. She leaned down, sipping her tea, and read the description, then looked back up at the totem, and paused before taking another sip, lost in thought. Max turned and looked at the Native American artifacts that were around the room. Her hand holding her tea to her mouth lowered and she walked back to her table, put down her cup and started keying in some information on her laptop. After a few websites, she found what she was looking for. The archaeologist let out a quick breath of air at her discovery and looked up at the totem again. <em> Wowzers. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>TEXTuя</strong><br/><strong>🦕Max 🠆 🏴☠️Chloe</strong> </p>
<p><strong>Max:</strong> I want to take you out to dinner.</p>
<p>--------------------------------------</p>
<p>The two women sat in a restaurant during the early evening. The sun was going down and the bay area basked in a beautiful, soft light. Max took a sip of her white wine and looked at Chloe, who sat perpendicular to her at the table, wanting to be close. She was captivated by her magnetic blue eyes against the orange and yellow light falling across her face. Chloe stopped in mid-conversation, noticing how Max was looking at her and leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on the doctor’s lips. Chloe then gave her a warm smile. "I like the way you’re looking at me."</p>
<p>Max smiled and put down her glass. "It’s kinda hard not to, leannán." Her smile widened and Chloe put her hand on Max’s cheek. She brushed it with her thumb and leaned in again to place a slow, lingering kiss. "Thank you for asking me out tonight." Chloe said as her thumb grazed across Max's lips.</p>
<p>Max kissed Chloe’s thumb. "There will be many more."</p>
<p>Her love once again gave her another slow kiss. "Good, cause you make me feel amazing."</p>
<p>Max giggled. "I’m sure everything is amazing after cleaning the hull."</p>
<p>"True, thank God it’s over." Chloe sat back in her chair. "It’s such a depressing job. I feel drained once the day is over."</p>
<p>Max hummed and took Chloe’s hand. "Wanna know something that will make you happy?" Chloe smiled as Max kissed Chloe’s hand. "It involves a small history lesson."</p>
<p>Chloe looked at her, a little puzzled. "And what is that?"</p>
<p>Max leaned back in her chair, keeping hold of Chloe’s hand. "‘Peer through the ship's window to see the little cancers line that will guide you home to peace and contentment."’</p>
<p>Chloe tilted her head a little at hearing the map’s riddle. Max, seeing that she had Chloe’s interest, continued, "We have been looking for the wrong word."</p>
<p>"What do you mean?" Chloe curiously asked.</p>
<p>"Cancer, crabs."</p>
<p>"You think little cancers doesn’t mean crab?"</p>
<p>Max took another sip of her wine. "No, it's crab that we’re looking for." She placed her glass down. "Just not the English word for crab." She watched Chloe’s eyes look back and forth into hers, thinking. Max grazed her thumb across Chloe’s held hand. "Bancroft had a Native American wife and child in the Arcadian area."</p>
<p>"Yeah, that’s what we’ve guessed," Chloe said, then took a sip of her wine.</p>
<p>"<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siletz"> Siletz </a> ( <em> suh-LETS </em>) were native people in this area who spoke a form of Tolowa, an Athabaskan language. It’s a dead language, the last person that spoke it died in ‘97. The University of Oregon, the Administration for Native Americans, the National Geographic Society, and the Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages had a project to capture as much of the language as possible before the last remaining person who spoke it passed away. The man recorded over 14,000 words. And one of those words was crab." </p>
<p>Chloe spoke up, "We were only looking at English maps. We need to find a map that has this Tolowa and Atha-baaa-"</p>
<p>Max finished the word "-askan."</p>
<p>"Yeah."</p>
<p>Their waitress came to the table to retrieve their plates. "Would you like to see the dessert menu, or would you like tea or coffee?"</p>
<p>Chloe looked at Max. "Love, I am full. I can’t fit anymore in me."</p>
<p>Max smiled, then looked up at the woman. "Just the check, please."</p>
<p>The woman nodded and before she left, Max asked, "The Three Graces, I heard it was called at one time by something else, do you happen to know what it was?"</p>
<p>The older woman replied, "It was once called Ga’-srvsr See (Ga-shush Say), but too many tourists didn’t know how to pronounce the word, so the town changed the name to The Three Graces."</p>
<p>"Do you know what the original name meant?"</p>
<p>"Mmhm, it was the native word for crab rocks."</p>
<p>Chloe’s eyes widened. She looked to the waitress then back to Max. Max nodded at the waitress. "Thank you."</p>
<p>"You’re welcome. I’ll get your bill." The waitress walked away and Chloe squeezed Max’s hand, leaned forward, and whispered, amazed, "You found it!" Chloe’s eyes darted around, thinking again. "Where is it? Is it far? Is it easy to get to, or do we have to hike again?"</p>
<p>Max giggled at Chloe's enthusiasm. "Look over my left shoulder at the rock formations in a line."</p>
<p>Max followed Chloe’s eyes, looking in the direction, and watched her face when she realized what she was looking at. Forty yards away from them was one of the town’s tourist landmarks.</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>About ten people were taking pictures of it from the shoreline as Chloe looked on. The diver looked back at Max, whose smile had widened as she gave Chloe a small wink.</p>
<p>Chloe replied, "You are like a sexy Indiana Jones, you know that? A real hot, damn sexy-"</p>
<p>The couple's conversation was interrupted. "Ah, good evening, Doctor Caulfield," Sean Prescott stood over them with his hand out. Max shook his hand. "Evening, Mr. Prescott."</p>
<p>"Sean, please." He looked at Chloe with a smile as Max introduced Chloe to him, "This is my partner, Chloe-"</p>
<p>"Price," Sean finished the woman’s name. "Yes, I know a few names of The Chase’s crew." He held out his hand and shook Chloe’s. The diver immediately wondered how he knew her name. "I’ve been told by a few staff members that you have a-" Sean smiled, "distinct voice, for karaoke."</p>
<p>Chloe chuckled, along with Max. "Yeeeah, 'distinct.'"</p>
<p>Sean stepped back from the table. "I won’t keep you from your evening, it was good to see you again. Thank you for stopping by the restaurant."</p>
<p>The waitress came to the table with the bill.</p>
<p>"Ah, no, please, this is on me tonight," Sean offered. Both Max and Chloe opened their mouths to protest. Sean put up his hand to stop them. "Please, it’s one of the benefits of owning this place." The waitress nodded and walked away.</p>
<p>"Thank you," both women said.</p>
<p>"It’s the least I can do after the few days you’ve had." Sean’s eyes widened, letting them know he also knew about what happened at the park. "Seems you can’t go out and take a few pictures without having… issues."</p>
<p>"Ah," Chloe replied coolly, raising her eyebrows. "Yeah." <em> He knows what happened. Friends on the police force?… </em> Chloe almost scoffed at her own thought. <em> 'Friends'… bribed people. </em></p>
<p>Sean continued, "Well, let’s hope the authorities catch these people so we can have our little town back to some normalcy. It’s bad for business."</p>
<p>"No doubt," Max replied, taking her last drink of wine.</p>
<p>"Hopefully, Miss Price, you won’t have any more… issues with your photography hobby."</p>
<p>Chloe played along, "I hope not. This is supposed to be a calming hobby."</p>
<p>Sean chuckled. "Any new places you had in mind to take pictures of?"</p>
<p>Chloe comfortably leaned back in her chair. "As of right now, no. Do you know of some?"</p>
<p>Sean smiled again. "Why yes. The trains in the area, of course, the lighthouse, and..." He pointed out at the shoreline, "The Three Graces right there."</p>
<p>Chloe looked at the rock formation again and hummed. "Maybe I’ll take a kayak over there and take a few on my next day off. Thank you."</p>
<p>Sean smiled again. "Well, I shouldn’t keep my wife. Nice to see you again, Doctor, and nice to meet you, Miss Price. Good evening."</p>
<p>The two women smiled as he walked away. Sean, with his back turned to them, dropped his smile and walked to a dining table.</p>
<p>Chloe looked over at Max, keeping her smile. "I don’t like that guy."</p>
<p>Max leaned forward and kissed Chloe’s cheek. "Not many people do. Come on, let’s get outta here."</p>
<p>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>"♫Row row row your boat gently down the stream, Ha, I fooled you, I'm a submarine!♫"</p>
<p>Max looked over and took a picture of Sloane in a kayak. The woman was leaned back wearing local kitsch tourist wear that consisted of a dark blue Two Whales hoodie from a favorite local diner spot and an ‘I 💗Oregon’ baseball cap as she hummed her song. Max watched the woman pull on a short rope in the water and haul up a six-pack of beer that was attached, trailing behind the kayak. At the sound of a can opening, *<em> Psshht </em>* one Coast Guard Lieutenant turned around to look at the relaxed back seat occupant. "Sloane." She said with some annoyance.</p>
<p>Sloane had her eyes closed and head back, catching a few rays. "Yes, my ducky?"</p>
<p>Chloe paddling, quietly giggled as Max smiled, looking back at her in their kayak.</p>
<p>The Lieutenant continued. "Are you drinking…? You know you can’t drink and boat."</p>
<p>"But I’m acting." Sloane took a big drink of her beer and pointed at herself. "I’m doin’ the ‘tourist in a kayak’ thing. Do you not see, for I have been at the Two Whales and I heart Oregon." Sloane looked over at Max and Chloe, then whispered loudly, "Shh, I’m undercover."</p>
<p>"Sloane. I can’t… I can’t have you drinking with me and kayaking. If someone saw-"</p>
<p>"Ah, but I’m technically not kayaking." Sloane pointed with her beer can in hand to her paddle under some tension rope on top of the kayak in front of her. "You, my little dumbo octopus,</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>are drivin’... or paddlin’ as it were." Sloane stretched, let out a groan, and closed her eyes. "I am just a passenger on this gondola."</p>
<p>"You have to get rid of it."</p>
<p>Sloane took another big gulp. "I am, my Lil’ sea bunny."</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>Rachel closed her eyes and gripped harder on her paddle. "Sloane." <em> Stop with the cute names</em>.</p>
<p>"What?" Sloane opened her eyes and looked at the Lieutenant’s back in front of her and kept her voice playful. "Where do you want me to put it? I can’t put it in the water. Or are you saying it’s okay to get the local fish here drunk? *<em> tsk tsk tsk </em>* Lieutenant, are you saying it’s okay to get the fish population intoxicated? That’s madness, think of the collisions, the traffic jams... the fish barf." Rachel pivoted around to glare at Sloane and saw a playful smirk. The tourist quickly spoke, "Think of the Guppies, Rachel!" The two occupants of the second kayak laughed. The Lieutenant smiled and shook her head, then splashed the ‘tourist’ using her paddle and turned to continue her paddling. Sloane, covered in water, let out a burp. Rachel turned back again.</p>
<p>"That wasn’t me," Sloane replied, wide-eyed and pointing at the water. "That was the Guppies partying it up ‘cause someone gave them beer." She looked down into the water and angrily whispered at the sea life below, "Excuse yourselves!"</p>
<p>Max covered her mouth, giggling.</p>
<p>Sloane received another splash from the Lieutenant.</p>
<p>--------------------------------------</p>
<p>They anchored their kayaks at low tide and waded through ankle-deep water toward one of the rock structures. "Let’s start with this one," Chloe said as she looked up at the rock formation. The four stood at the base of a large, fifty-foot rock structure and looked upward. </p>
<p>Rachel asked, "So do we climb to the top, or do we, I don’t know, look for some sort of marking?"</p>
<p>Max lifted her eyebrows as the group began to walk around to the other side of the structure away from the shoreline. "I really don’t know if this is the rock he positioned himself at. I would guess it would be the top. Then again, I don’t think he meant for his treasure to be hidden for over a century. He may have had an etching on the rock face to indicate where one would stand. But the rock has had over a century’s worth of weathering and any etching would be indistinguishable." Chloe hummed, "Brb, I can get up to the top." The diver disappeared around the corner, splashing the water around her as the three others looked at the scenery, the ocean life in the waters below them, and the rock formation above. *<em> Psshht </em> * The Lieutenant again turned at the sound of a beer being opened and Sloane casually looked up at the rock face. Rachel walked over and looked at her. Sloane took a long drink and looked down at the woman standing in front of her. Rachel put her hand into one of Sloane’s cargo pockets and found it empty. She then went to the other and unbuttoned the side pocket. Sloane looked over at Max, smiled, and casually remarked. "Max, Rachel is trying to get into my pants." Max chuckled as Rachel took out a beer, eyeballing Sloane. * <em> Psshht </em>* Rachel turned, looked up at the rock formation and drank as a buzzing sound came from above. The three looked towards the sound to see a drone flying overhead and then hovered above the rock formation. Chloe walked around with a tablet in hand. "Easy peasy."</p>
<p>--------------------------------------</p>
<p>The four crowded around the tablet as Chloe positioned it further down. </p>
<p>"Careful of the trees," Sloane said, looking up at the drone’s position. "You got about three feet on your right before you snag a branch."</p>
<p>Chloe hummed and thought out loud, "They probably weren’t there when Bancroft was around, or there may have been different trees."</p>
<p>Max tilted her head to get a better view. "Can you put it in front of the structure instead?" She looked up at the drone, then back down at the tablet. "If Bancroft was standing up there, it doesn’t mean he was in the center. He could’ve been standing by the front edge."</p>
<p>"True," Chloe replied and moved the drone to the edge of the formation with a clear view. Max placed the porthole next to the tablet to see if she could match up the colored stained glass with her surroundings. "Down a bit… down a bit more… pivot counterclockwise." Max kept looking from the drone to the porthole. Both Sloane and Rachel stood back, letting the two other women do the task. "Over to the left to line up with…"</p>
<p>Chloe inched the drone and then had it hovering in a spot. The archaeologist whispered, "Woah." She placed the porthole over the tablet as Chloe peered through the colored glass. She moved the drone a bit more, then stopped as it continued to hover, holding its position. Chloe whispered, "Holy shit, look-look-look!"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The four women each looked from the tablet through the porthole, it was almost a perfect match, except for a few trees that had grown over the years. Max looked in the direction of where the porthole and drone were positioned. "‘Little cancers line that will guide you home to peace and contentment.’" Max looked down at the porthole again. A triangular piece of lead was used as a marker, one she knew personally. She looked up again, smiling at the cliff... and the lighthouse that stood atop it.</p>
<p>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Max stood away from the edge with an understanding of her new fear. <em> They really need to put better fencing around the edge. </em> Sloane looked out over the bay, standing next to the low-level fencing by the lighthouse. "It’s the high ground. The Siletz might have used this position to look out over the bay. The parking lot area would’ve been a good area for a village." Sloane looked up at the lighthouse. "And it’s ideal to have a signal fire." </p>
<p>Chloe looked down at the dirt under her boots. "This whole cliff only has about a half to a quarter foot of soil in certain places." She scuffed her foot across the surface, "The rest is just granite."</p>
<p>Rachel spoke up, "This area could’ve been covered in trees back then, right?" </p>
<p>Sloane looked around, skimming the area. "The treasure could’ve been hidden within the trees and not even buried. Again, we can speculate that Bancroft didn’t want it to be hidden away for a long time. There have been a number of sites where artifacts were just in structures out in the open. Whenever Arcadia was founded, the treasure could’ve been found then, or the Siletz could’ve taken it when Bancroft didn’t return to his wife and child. This whole area has been developed over the decades. It would’ve been found or sure when construction started with the lighho- holy shit, can you imagine if a tourist found it?!"</p>
<p>Max looked at the lighthouse, then around the area. She made a small sigh only for herself to hear. <em> It’s gone</em>. Chloe had heard the sigh and saw the look on Max’s face, the disappointment. She knew the feeling. Her and Sloane, along with the crew of The Chase, had been through it many times before. To come so far, only to have it gone or find a dead end.</p>
<p>"Is this it?" Rachel asked. "Ahh, it… there has to be something, right?" Rachel felt the emotion come over her also. To be brought along on this journey only for it to end with no answers. <em> The things that were done, people have been trying to kill us… we’ve... I took a life</em>. Rachel looked around the area at her realization. She never once thought of becoming rich from what was to be found. Rachel wanted to be a part of the find, yes, but she wanted it found so that she could have her life back. Max and Chloe walked over as she continued, "I knew that it wasn’t going to be mine, the treasure, that is. It’s just… I-I thought we would find it, find what it was, and finally, I could stop looking over my shoulder." She lightly shook her head, trying to understand. "To go through everything…" She put her hands in her coat pockets and stopped talking, unsure what else to say.</p>
<p>Max added, "The only hope now would be to publish the findings, and maybe someone will come forward that has information. Then again, if someone did find it, they would’ve kept it quiet and for themselves. But once the information is out-" She looked at Rachel. "The person who is doing… things to us will also stop."</p>
<p>Chloe nodded. "Well… it was a small adventure for us." She smiled.</p>
<p>Sloane smirked and joined the circle of friends. "It’s one for the unsolved books." Rachel stared at the two divers and their ease of conversation. Sloane wrapped an arm around Rachel’s shoulders and gave her a comforting rub. She spoke through experience, giving Rachel a soft smile. "Sometimes it remains a mystery, and it can’t be solved-" </p>
<p>Chloe finished Sloane’s words, "And you have to let it go, knowing that it won’t be solved." Chloe had told Rachel that one day on The Chase’s deck before she fully got involved with the map. </p>
<p>Max looked up at the lighthouse, already thinking of the coincidence. "Did my grandfather hide Bancroft’s message on the map? I wonder if that’s why he worked there till he retired. Did he keep looking? Even when he was alive, he spent a lot of time here." Max looking in a specific direction as she continued. "He liked to sit on that bench there and look out over the town. I wonder if he… did he also get this far and not find anything?" Max frowned. She would never know those answers either.</p>
<p>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Later that night, Max sat back on her dorm desk chair as she took a sip of tea. She placed the mug on the unique coaster as she held her phone to her ear.</p>
<p>"Hi sweetie."</p>
<p>"Hey Pop, how’re you and Mom?" Max asked.</p>
<p>"Good, she’s out with the ladies tonight, gone to see some drama movie."</p>
<p>"And what are you doin’ now that you have the house to yourself?"</p>
<p>"Ahh, that would be watching hockey and drinking a beer."</p>
<p>Max chuckled. "Livin’ dangerously."</p>
<p>"It is when your mom and I are..." Ryan sighed, "dieting."</p>
<p>Max chuckled again.</p>
<p>"So how is my Lil’ Digger?"</p>
<p>Max smiled at the nickname he kept using since her childhood. "It’s going really well. The assisting students are amazing. I have no issues with them at all."</p>
<p>"How much damage did the hurricane cause?"</p>
<p>"Not much to the site and I guess what was to be expected around the town. There were no deaths reported, just property damage."</p>
<p>"Mmm, good, both your mother and I saw the news, nothing they couldn’t handle."</p>
<p>"Yeah."</p>
<p>"Was… was there damage to... your grandfather’s place?"</p>
<p>"No, no damage. I stopped by a few times to take some pictures of the place and to check up on it after the storm… it looks good, Pop, he did a great job when he built it."</p>
<p>"Ahh, that’s… nice to hear. I’m sure the family living there is thankful."</p>
<p>"No one’s living there."</p>
<p>"What?" Ryan was surprised. "Why not?"</p>
<p>"Seems the Prescotts never sold it; everything is still inside."</p>
<p>There was silence on the call, then Ryan, under his breath, swore. "Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that."</p>
<p>"It’s okay, it’s understandable. I went by and looked in the windows. Everything is still in the home. I don’t think anything has even been moved." <em> Weeell, one or two things. </em></p>
<p>"I-I don’t understand."</p>
<p>"And that’s not all. Sean Prescott said I could repurchase the home."</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"I know, when we talked at his home-"</p>
<p>"Why were you at his home, Maxine?" The change of name and voice put Max on her guard.</p>
<p>"That’s where we spoke about the home."</p>
<p>"Please stay away from him. The whole family is-is-is..." Ryan didn’t want to swear again and he didn’t know how to finish his thought.</p>
<p>"I was and still am skeptical about him, but the home hasn’t been touched. He had my model ship in his office on display. He gave it back to me with an apology, then offered for me to buy the home."</p>
<p>"Will you?"</p>
<p>"I can’t, what he’s asking-"</p>
<p>"Yeah, I bet his price is excessive."</p>
<p>"Yeah, too much."</p>
<p>"Asshole… sorry."</p>
<p>"It’s okay, Pop… We talked about the day you were asked to hand over the keys." Max heard her father scoff on the other line. "He said he was told by his father to get the keys and make sure nothing was taken from the home. Pop, he didn’t know why. He said that he was just listening to his father's orders."</p>
<p>"Figures that he wouldn’t ask, too chicken shit… sorry."</p>
<p>"He told me why Grandpa had to give up the home."</p>
<p>Ryan was silent on the other end again, over what his daughter told him. "It had to be done, his caretaking was going to cost a lot of money and he would’ve been better in a retirement home that could-"</p>
<p>"Caretaking?" Max was confused. "Sean said that Grandpa was in a gambling debt to the Prescotts."</p>
<p>"That motherfucking son of a bitch." Ryan was again silent on the other line. Max heard a slow sigh. "That isn’t…" There was another controlled breath of air. "He wasn’t a gambler, I don’t know why…" Ryan took a drink of his beer. "Max, your Grandfather was obsessive. He had some information about a treasure that he thought for sure was somewhere in Arcadia. Maxine's body stiffened. Her father continued and she kept quiet. "That’s why he and your Grandmother moved there just after he was discharged. When your Grandmother died, I think it was a way for him to deal with her death. He needed something to latch onto and instead of moving on with his life, he obsessed over this thing."</p>
<p>Max’s heart quickened.</p>
<p>Ryan continued. "I didn’t know it at the time, but he had asked the Prescotts for money to pay for his obsession." The father sighed. "I had already moved out, living with him was not… there were too many arguments over what he was doing. He was selling off anything he could, saying that he was so close to finding it. Because I wasn’t around, I didn’t see the first signs of his dementia."</p>
<p>"What?" Max said surprised.</p>
<p>"I got a call one night from the Arcadian police that your grandfather was found in the lighthouse. He had broken in and was found under the staircase, barely clothed, digging around a stone floor slab, rambling incoherently."</p>
<p>"Oh no." Max felt so bad to hear about her grandfather's condition.</p>
<p>"He never told me about his condition. When we found out, we wanted him to come live with us but he didn’t want to leave. Your mother and I got him a healthcare worker to go in a few times during the week to check on him and to make sure he was taking his medication, which he was. Hmph, he even said that he was working on a new project for you for your thirteenth birthday." Max smiled at the thought. It then faded; he'd never had the chance to either finish it or give it to her before he passed away. There was another pause of silence on the line, then Max quietly spoke, "I miss him."</p>
<p>"I know you do. He would’ve been so proud of you, of who you’ve become." Ryan lightly chuckled. "I’m sure he would be down by the pier every day to see what you were doing and telling everyone that you were his granddaughter."</p>
<p>Max hummed happily. She then cleared her throat. "I… ah, met someone that works with me."</p>
<p>There was silence on the line again. "Really?!" Max didn’t know, but Ryan looked around the apartment for his wife. "Does your mom know?"</p>
<p>"Ahh, no."</p>
<p>"Really?!" Ryan smiled. "You’re telling me first?!"</p>
<p>Max chuckled. "Yeah."</p>
<p>"Well then, I have something to tell your mother when she gets home. Unless you want to tell her."</p>
<p>"No, it’s okay for you to tell her."</p>
<p>"Good cause I kinda want to," Ryan chuckled, then leaned back into the couch and inquired, "Sooo, who is she?"</p>
<p>Max hummed happily again. "She’s a diver on the extracting team aboard The Chase."</p>
<p>"That is so cool. How did you meet? What does she look like? Is she nice? She better be."</p>
<p>Max chuckled again. "Pop…" Max could help but smile, "she’s amazing."</p>
<p>"Amazing? Wooow." He chuckled and recrossed his feet that were up on the coffee table. "Your mom is gonna be so jealous that you told me first, that’s awesome."</p>
<p>Max giggled then told how they met at Blackwell, thinking that it would be better for another conversation to tell them about the whole falling off the cliff, kidnapping, being shot at… <em> oh dog, yeah, they're never going to know any of that</em>.</p>
<p> </p>

<p></p><div>
  <p> </p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. What if</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bancroft’s adventure seemed to be over with no leads. As the days went by, the town of Arcadia Bay cleaned up the destruction left from Hurricane Raymond. Two families made the decision to leave and, to the benefit of the Prescotts, they took Sean’s offer for their property. </p>
<p>The university’s assistants and students were back to work onboard The Chase as the crew was working from sunrise to sunset to get back on schedule.</p>
<p>To the surprise of Rachel and The Chase crew, Commander Madsen informed her one morning before she started her shift that the Coast Guard no longer needed to be stationed on the vessel. Three months ago, the Lieutenant would’ve been happy to get back to her regular station, but now she found herself peering through binoculars a few times during the day, wishing she was still on board or looking at an unsent text that she couldn't build the courage to send.</p>
<p>Steph had her family come down to spend a week in Arcadia. Victoria kept in touch with her husband and her free time was spent doing the extra paperwork that needed to be done. Sloane started to max out her dive time. Once she hit it, she kept working, helping out the university assistants with their finds and keeping busy as everyone else moved on with their lives. Chloe and Max were very much inseparable; it was as if they lived together in the Blackwell dormitory as most of Chloe’s clothes and personal products now had their own space in Max’s room. Max herself had become a little otter in the water, thanks to Chloe. The brunette had kept up with their lessons and was now swimming in the deep end with no issues. The Archaeologist had also started her report on Bancroft’s treasure; she was hoping to be able to publish as early as in the new year. She joked that it would be done quicker if a certain woman wasn’t taking up her extra time.</p>
<p>Sean Prescott came to his senses and decided to stop wasting his money and time. He deemed that Max had no information on the Bancroft treasure after getting reports that her and the others were no longer out 'looking around.' The information had seemingly been lost when Max's Grandfather, Micheal, passed away, so Sean directed the blame to his own dead father for the failure of not finding it in the first place and having Micheal make a fool of the Prescott name. He decided to put all of his attention towards his project for Arcadia, starting with the for sale sign on Micheal Caulfield’s house. It was his only way to save face in the matter that no one outside of his son or wife even knew or cared about.</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>"I knew it was going to happen," Max said, pausing and thinking for a bit with Chloe on the deck of The Chase.</p>
<p>Chloe looked over Max’s shoulder, watching Sloane getting geared up again for another dive. She noticed the woman was working herself hard for the past while. Arcadia Bay was not a huge town and there wasn’t much to do after a shift unless you traveled an hour away.</p>
<p>After the first two weeks, Rachel had been placed on overnight shifts, giving her no time for social gatherings. She had to turn down going out with the crew at the local pubs and turned down Jason showing up for a weekend.</p>
<p>Chloe looked down at Max, watching her hair move in the breeze as she continued. "I’ve emailed and asked if I could take some of his personal belongings from the home."</p>
<p>"Let me guess," Chloe replied, curling Max’s hair over her ear, already knowing the answer.</p>
<p>"Yeah, no reply," Max sighed. "What is wrong with people? If Grandpa left a debt, fine, sell the home and get the money back, but to keep his personal things, the family mementos..."</p>
<p>Chloe looked out over the town. "There are some people that just don’t know how else to be but an asshole." She wrapped her arms around Max’s neck, then placed her forehead onto hers and kissed her nose. "I’m sorry, love."</p>
<p>Max tilted her head up and kissed Chloe. "Thanks, leannán."</p>
<p>Chloe hummed happily, "If you wanna do another B&amp;E-"</p>
<p>Max’s eyes widened. "No, nope, nu-uh."</p>
<p>Chloe giggled and hugged her lady at the reaction. "Are you sure, cause the sex afterward wa-" Chloe didn’t finish her sentence as Max wiggled away and hit Chloe for the teasing. "Oh my dog." She then giggled with her, going back into Chloe’s embrace.</p>
<p>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Max, on a cold sunny afternoon, walked the rows down the field until she found the name. She smiled a little. "Hi, Athair mór (Grandpa)." She knelt and cleared away the fallen leaves across the gravestone. She hauled her grandfather’s satchel to the front of her and took out a candle set in glass. She lit it and placed it on the ground at the base of the stone and spent some time with her grandfather, getting him caught up on her life for the past fifteen years. Once she finished her stay at the cemetery, she grabbed a tea at the local coffee house then decided to spend some time in her grandfather’s favorite spot.</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>Max took another picture with her phone of the surrounding bay on top of the lighthouse cliff. She sat back on the wooden bench, sipping her tea and enjoying her quiet time. As she sent Chloe a quick text she heard a truck drive up the pathway. Looking up, she watched a maintenance worker walk towards the house.</p>
<p>"Afternoon." She smiled, greeting the worker.</p>
<p>"Afternoon, cold day to be up here," the older man greeted Max and started the small town talk.</p>
<p>"Mm-hm, just wanted to get some pictures of the area and the project down by the water."</p>
<p>"Ah, are you part of the crew?" The man placed a toolbox by the door as he took out his ring of keys.</p>
<p>"Yeah."</p>
<p>The older man walked over to Max, leaving his supplies behind, interested. "Yeah? How’s the project going? It’s still the talk of the town."</p>
<p>Max chuckled, knowing small-town gossip. "It’s going really well, we had a small setback with the hurricane, but everything is getting back on track."</p>
<p>"That’s good to hear." He paused as he looked out over the bay. "I gotta ask, have you found anything huge?"</p>
<p>"'Huge' as in?"</p>
<p>"My wife was talking with some of her friends the other night and mentioned that a small jewelry box of jewels was found and that two men on board fought over it in the old dry docks and one was shot and is in a coma."</p>
<p>Max's eyes widened. The small town seemed to be playing the ‘telephone game’ of what happened at the bank and warehouse months ago. "Uuuh, noo," Max replied with a bewildered look.</p>
<p>The older man smiled. "Yeah, now that I say it out loud and that my source is my wife and her friends, it does sound ridiculous."</p>
<p>The two chuckled. "Well, you can tell your wife that, yes, jewelry was found, it was a necklace where the hotel and natatorium were." Max looked out over the bay where the crew was working. "In that area where the two smaller boats are."</p>
<p>"Ah, that is interesting. It’s crazy to think all of that area was above the waterline."</p>
<p>Max hummed in agreement as she sipped her tea. She then looked back at the lighthouse. "Is there something wrong with the lighthouse?"</p>
<p>The older man looked back. "Ah no, it’s just the yearly maintenance work. The outside had to get painted and she has to be turned off for the next day or two for an inspection. The old girl needs some parts replaced after ten years." Max looked at the top of the lighthouse and the older man smiled. "You want to take a look? I mean it’s not as interesting as what you're doing down there."</p>
<p>"Yeah, I would love to," Max instantly replied with a huge smile. "Actually, I found out my grandfather was one of the keepers."</p>
<p>"Really? What’s his name?"</p>
<p>"Micheal Caulfield," Max replied.</p>
<p>The man smiled, knowing the name. "The last keeper." He then pointed to the lighthouse. "His name is on a plaque inside the house if you wanted to see."</p>
<p>Max’s smile widened. "Yes, please, if you don’t mind."</p>
<p>"I don’t mind at all, Miss..."</p>
<p>"Caulfield, Max Caulfield." Max held out her hand to greet him.</p>
<p>"Good to meet you, Miss-"</p>
<p>"Please, Max."</p>
<p>The older man shook Max’s hand, greeting her. "Samuel Taylor."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Max was let inside the old lighthouse. She looked around the almost empty interior seeing a few utility work crates, paint buckets, safety harnesses, rope, and supplies under the staircase. Samuel pointed to the plaque by the door and Max smiled and took a picture. He offered for her to have a tour of the tower above, which she accepted. They talked for a bit as he cleaned the windows about what it was like for Micheal when he worked here. After some time, Max mentioned that she had to leave and thanked Samuel for the tour and the history lesson. She left him to complete his work above and closed the floor door, walking down the spiral staircase. Max looked at the plaque again and drew her fingers across the man’s name, feeling a family pride, then looked once more into the almost empty room. She turned to leave, then stopped with her hand on the door handle. She looked over her shoulder and her father’s words played in her head. <em> He was found under the staircase digging into a stone floor slab. </em> Max walked over to the staircase where maintenance supplies were stacked on the floor. She looked up at the closed door of the above lightroom, placed her tea container on a step, then moved the containers out of the way. Her head tilted at the area as her eyes scanned the stone slabs. The Archaeologist knelt and brushed a bit of dirt and debris away from the floor. Her fingers felt around for the edge. She brushed the area some more and noticed a groove around a large slab. She got down on her hands and knees and blew the dirt away, then knelt up and looked at the maintenance containers, seeing a paintbrush with the painting supplies. She grabbed it and started brushing the fine debris away.</p>
<p>Max guided her hands across another slab, feeling the groove marks, then leaned back to look at the cleaned slabs. The molding had been removed around one and, with her small fingers, she was able to fit them between the next slab. She tried to lift the stone and let out a little grunt. "Damn." She looked around for something that could help her but was out of luck. <em> Shit</em>. She got out her phone, took a few pictures and then, with the paintbrush, re-covered the area in dirt. She placed the containers back where they were and left the lighthouse. Her mind was already working at the ‘what if’s.’</p>
<p>--------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Chloe sat in the galley eating her jello and glancing at Max. Her girlfriend, when she came on board, was relatively quiet this evening. She kept the mood light, talking about her workday and had a conversation with Luke, who sat across from them. Once most of the crew left, Chloe leaned over, lightly bumping Max on the shoulder with her's. "What’s up? You’re really quiet today."</p>
<p>Max came out of her small daze and smiled at Chloe. "Sorry, got stuff on my mind."</p>
<p>"Everything okay?"</p>
<p>Max glanced around at who was in the galley before she spoke, "I visited my grandfather’s grave today."</p>
<p>Chloe put her arm around Max’s lower back and gave her a gentle rub. "You should’ve told me, I would’ve gone with you."</p>
<p>Max smiled again at Chloe’s words and the comfort she gave. "It’s okay. Had a small chat with him and told him what I’ve been up to." Max took a sip of her tea. "I then went to the lighthouse and took a few more pictures and met a town maintenance worker that looks after the lighthouse; he showed me around."</p>
<p>"Cool, did you go up top?"</p>
<p>Max raised her eyebrows at the memory. "Yeah, it was interesting; the lens is huge. They have a plaque inside that has the names of all the keepers that worked there." She smiled. "Micheal’s was the last one."</p>
<p>Chloe saw the pride in Max’s eyes. "Yeah?"</p>
<p>"Yeah." Max glanced around again at who was around and Chloe noticed that this was the second time she had done it. Her eyes also wandered around, wondering what had Max so cautious. "Uhmm, I was talking with Dad the other night about Micheal; it seems that Sean wasn’t truthful when he told me that Grandpa had a gambling debt." Chloe let out a hum, sipping her coffee, interested. "Micheal asked for a loan from the Prescotts." Max looked at Chloe. "Dad told me that he was obsessed over a treasure map he’d found; it was their whole reason for moving to Arcadia."</p>
<p>Chloe hummed again and slowly nodded at the new information. "Wow."</p>
<p>"Yeah." Max chewed the corner of her cheek, thinking. "He said that Micheal was looking for it right up till he was hospitalized from being out in the cold one night."</p>
<p>Chloe furrowed her brow, puzzled. "What?"</p>
<p>"Unknown to my dad at the time, Grandpa was in the early stages of dementia. The police found him in the lighthouse late one night."</p>
<p>"Ooh shit, was he okay?"</p>
<p>Max nodded. "Yeah, that’s when Dad found out about his condition." Max played with her tea mug. "He was under the staircase in the lighthouse, trying to dig up a stone floor slab."</p>
<p>Chloe placed her mug on the table. There was silence between them. Both didn’t know how to bring up the subject. It was Chloe who spoke first, pushing away her mug, "Max, it’s… I know the feeling you have right now, I do."</p>
<p>"He would’ve combed every foot of the cliff. The only place left was the lighthouse floor."</p>
<p>"They would have found it when they constructed the lighthouse or the service house next to it, and yeah, if it was found, for sure whoever found it wouldn’t have said a word. That kind of find, a lot of people would be tempted, especially when there were no rules in place over found treasure as they are now."</p>
<p>Max stared at her mug and continued, "I found out that they drilled pillars down into the granite for the construction and the floor is just stone slabs. They could have missed it."</p>
<p>Chloe sighed, "Most of the ground is just granite." She didn’t want to think Max was like her grandfather and many other people she had come in contact with over the years concerning treasure and the obsession that can occur. Chloe took Max’s hand and looked at her. "You said he had dementia."</p>
<p>"But what if-"</p>
<p>Chloe felt like she was going to lose her. She kissed the back of her fingers. "Love, what if we go there and lift up the slab and find nothing? Are you going to want to look under another till the whole floor has been examined? Or are you going to press on and want to tear up the concrete floor of the service house to check under there, too?"</p>
<p>Max took her hand away, feeling a little rejected. "I-I would never destroy a landmark. I want to…" Again, Chloe heard Max pressing on, "I can use GPR (ground penetrating radar). I can get one from the university, but I just want to-" Max took out her phone, brought up the pictures she took and showed them to Chloe. "Just lift up one slab that he was digging at. The mortar around it has been removed. Look at all the scrape markings on the other slab next to it. He had taken this one and dragged it on top of this other one multiple times."</p>
<p>Chloe put down Max’s phone. "So you want to break in?"</p>
<p>Someone cleared their throat at the table they were sitting at. Chloe looked to her left at the table, then back to Max, changing her wording, "So you wanna take a look-see inside again since you know someone on the town maintenance staff?" Victoria quietly sipped her tea, going over some work on her tablet and, without looking up, nodded approvingly at the wording. Not that they were going to go through the town worker to get in. Max glanced at Victoria then back at Chloe, choosing her words carefully, "There is a... pretty door…" She swiped over to a picture on her phone of the lighthouse door so that Chloe and Victoria at a quick glance would see, specifically the padlock. Max continued her discreet wording, "-that is also there, you could take pictures of it, including the inside… cuz you like taking pictures." Victoria's attention went to the two crewmembers who walked into the galley.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sloane and Steph sat down with their food trays next to the other. Sloane looked tired and rundown; Chloe smirked and tilted her head. "What’s wrong, Guppy? Excavating life not fun?"</p>
<p>The diver mumbled, "S’fine… it’s just kinda boring after the shift is over, not much to do in this town." Sloane looked down and stabbed her fork into her meatloaf unenthusiastically. She then, out of the corner of her eye, noticed a phone slowly slide into her view from across the table. She paused at her food, glanced at the phone and the picture that was displayed. Then an extra dark chocolate bar slowly slid next to it. Sloane looked up, seeing a doe-eyed archaeologist looking at her, biting the inside of her cheek. Quietly Max spoke, "There was jello for tonight’s dessert, so I thought this could be a replacement. S-since Chlo gave you pudding last time she bri-"</p>
<p>Victoria cleared her throat again, stopping Max’s word.</p>
<p>"I mean since it was j-jello night. I-I thought chocolate would be a better replacement for… jell-o." Max looked at Sloane, unable to keep eye contact. <em> Oh my dog, this feels like a drug deal</em>. She quickly glanced at Chloe.</p>
<p>Chloe kept looking ahead with her face neutral as she sipped her coffee. <em> Look at you, my Lil’ tomb raider, trying to bribe... This is actually turning me on. </em></p>
<p>Sloane cut off a piece of her meatloaf. "What is this sorry excuse of something called ‘chocolate’ doing in my presence?"</p>
<p>Max’s eyes widened. Her initial attempt had failed. "I-I, it was all they had at the gas statio-"</p>
<p>Sloane furrowed her brow. "Gas station?" Another persuasion failure. Max turned and opened her satchel and Sloane looked at Chloe, who sat across from her. They were having a wordless conversation with their eyes at what Max was doing. </p>
<p>
  <em> Oh my Gods, this is so cute. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> I know, right! I wanna eat her up. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> We're having an influence on her. </em>
</p>
<p><em> Mmm, my badass girl. </em> Chloe smirked, along with Sloane.</p>
<p><em> I swear to fuck if you two are arrested dragging her along… Goddammit, why are have all the fun? </em> Victoria said to herself then eyed the chocolate. <em> I want that? </em></p>
<p>The Guppy lifted her fork of meatloaf and her smirk disappeared. The archaeologist placed something on the table and nervously slid it over. Her voice was unsure of the last attempt. "M-maybe this would help."</p>
<p>The forkful of food hovered outside Sloane’s open mouth as she looked at the offering.</p>
<p>"I was told you like this," Max cautiously said. "Cause… not everyone, uhm, likes, jell...o."</p>
<p>Sloane looked over at Steph, who was eyeballing the offering. She then glanced at Chloe and finally to Victoria, who was back looking at her work. Sloane placed her fork down on the tray and looked at the 'gift,' "You three better up your game." Sloane took the bottle of JW Black off the table, looking at it. "Max has just lifted the bar to a whole new level." Steph and Chloe shook their heads, chuckling as they tried to grab the bottle to play keep away.</p>
<p>"You best be opening that now, Guppy," Chloe said, leaning over the table reaching for the bottle.</p>
<p>"Nuh-uh all mine," Sloane said, protectively moving the bottle away.</p>
<p>Steph leaned over Sloane's side with her two hands reaching out. "The hell it is, open it up."</p>
<p>"Ahh, mine! Get back ya scurvy dogs!"</p>
<p> Victoria lifted her eyes for a moment, winked at Max as she sipped her tea. <em> Well done. </em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Goonies Never Say-</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>HeyHey everyone. Who wants to have the name of someone special in this AU story? :)<br/>As a thank you for reading The Chase, I'm gonna again run a little contest as I've done in one of my previous LiS stories ( ﾟｰﾟ)<br/>Leave a full name or names in the comment field and they'll be added to the list that has been started. Then I'll randomly pick a few names to place into a future chapter ٩(ᐛ)و</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sloane, the previous day, did her surveillance of the lighthouse area, looking for cameras or any sign of security devices in and around the lighthouse. She found none but noticed the door had three padlocks due to the local teens trying to get inside. Sloane smirked, finding some small excitement, knowing they would have to get past the door.</p>
<p>The three decided to take a ‘look-see’ the next night. Chloe had parked the run-down truck on the side road instead of the lighthouse parking lot and the three walked up the pathway in the late night.</p>
<p>Sloane had wanted a challenge but recognized the locks as a popular brand that could easily be picked. It dampened her excitement a little as the three entered the old lighthouse with no issues to begin their work.</p>
<p>With the paint and repair material moved again from under the winding stairs, Chloe pointed the flashlight at the floor for Max to brush the debris away from the stone floor. She handed the light to Max then her and Sloane placed their crowbars between the cracks. Sloane’s phone booped with a message as the two divers started to lift the stone slab. "Maxie, can you grab my phone for me? Back pocket." The archaeologist took out Sloane’s phone, checked the message, replied back, then walked to the door, opening it for the Lieutenant to walk through.</p>
<p>"Wow, you guys didn’t waste any time," the officer stated, pocketing her phone.</p>
<p>Max replied, keeping the light on the stone slab, "She got us in pretty quick."</p>
<p>The Lieutenant glanced at the lockpicker and the two smiled at each other. "Lieutenant," Sloane said, greeting her.</p>
<p>"Having some fun are we?" Rachel replied with a coy smile. Sloane answered with an uncontrollable goofy smile; she was like a kid in a candy store.</p>
<p>The two women walked over, watching as the slab was lifted up. From below, a breeze of air came rushing out, blowing some dirt and loose debris across the floor, just enough for everyone to notice. The large, flat, stone slab scraped across the floor as Chloe and Sloane hauled it off to the side and Max moved the flashlight for all peered down, seeing old hay and, "Horsehair," Max said. She knelt and removed the hay and hair to reveal a deep, dark, two-foot-wide shaft opening. "Wowzers," Max whispered. Chloe drew her arm across the front of Max, fearful that she would fall in. "Careful."</p>
<p>Rachel whispered, "Holy shit."</p>
<p>"Your light," Sloane asked Max as the diver went to a knee. With the light handed over, Sloane looked down into the darkness then got on her stomach. "Price, grab my belt and hold me." Chloe went behind Sloane as Max and Rachel stepped away, giving them some room. Chloe took hold of the belt in one hand, the other held the above staircase for extra support, then Sloane bent downwards to her waistline into the shaft.</p>
<p>The light from the flashlight disappeared, leaving the lighthouse and the trespassers in darkness. There were a few moments of silence before Sloane let out a small whistle in amazement. "It goes down about ten feet till the shaft turns. I can’t see beyond that. There’s a slight breeze and the air doesn’t smell stale." Sloane held back the flashlight. "Someone take the light?"</p>
<p>"Got it," Max said, grabbing it and holding it over the area.</p>
<p>.<br/>..</p>
<p>"Hey Max?" Sloane said from below.</p>
<p>"Yeah?"</p>
<p>"I gotta question."</p>
<p>The archaeologist replied, "Okay?"</p>
<p>"Is Rach looking at my butt right now?"</p>
<p>Chloe and Max looked over at Rachel, whose eyes diverted away from Sloane’s butt. Max grinned and fibbed, "No-" Rachel crossed her arms in front of her chest then shook her head, mumbling, "Oh my god."</p>
<p>Max continued with a smile, "-but I am."</p>
<p>Chloe smiled. "Get up here, Guppy."</p>
<p>Sloane sighed as Chloe hauled her back up. The brunette sat at the edge of the opening. "So."</p>
<p>Max replied, "So." There was silence between them, then Sloane spoke again, "What’s the plan?"</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>Rachel and Chloe stood by the tourist counter, listening to Max explain. The woman sat on a container with the light aimed low to the floor, already discussing the next step, "-and that could take a few months to get approval. Then once the university-"</p>
<p>"Price?"</p>
<p>Chloe turned. Max held up the light as the three girls looked at the taut rope tied to the above staircase as it moved slightly.</p>
<p>"Guppy!" Chloe said, walking to the staircase.</p>
<p>"Goddammit!" Rachel barked, seeing what Sloane had done. The woman had used the rope that was next to the paint supplies.</p>
<p>"What are you doing?" Max asked, stunned, pointing the light at the shaft opening. She quickly walked over, looking at the rope line disappearing around the bend a few feet down. "You - you can’t do that!"</p>
<p>There was no answer back from the woman below. </p>
<p>Chloe furrowed her brow. "Sloane!"</p>
<p>"Uhhh," the dive partner replied from below.</p>
<p>"What?" Chloe replied as she knelt. "What’s wrong?"</p>
<p>"Max, did this lighthouse have a toilet?" Sloane asked from the abyss.</p>
<p>"What?" Max replied, confused.</p>
<p>"It just occurred to me that I might be lowering myself down a poop chute."</p>
<p>"It serves you right," Rachel replied, fuming.</p>
<p>There was silence again.</p>
<p>Chloe called out, "Guppy?"</p>
<p>"Yeah?" Sloane answered back.</p>
<p>The three saw the rope that disappeared around a corner move a little, and Max spoke before Chloe, "You can’t be down there. It’s trespassing."</p>
<p>Sloane replied in a monotone voice, "Max… we broke into a lighthouse and removed a slab; trespassing is not gonna be an issue. Besides, is it actually trespassing if I’m ten feet down in-"</p>
<p>Rachel interrupted with anger in her voice, "Sloane, there are safety issues! What happens if you fall and hurt yourself?" </p>
<p>"Relax, I’m fine." There was a crashing sound of metal and glass breaking below. Sloane claimed unconvincingly, "That wasn’t me!"</p>
<p>"Get out of there!" Rachel said.</p>
<p>.<br/>..<br/>...</p>
<p>"Wooow," Sloane said, elongating her word.</p>
<p>Max replied instantly, "Wow? What do you mean, wow? What are you wowing about?" Max, curiously moved the light a bit, wanting to see past the corner. Chloe protectively held Max’s arm. "Sloane?"</p>
<p>There was silence.</p>
<p>"Guppy?" Chloe called out. Her dive partner didn't answer. Chloe took hold of the rope and all noticed that it was slack. Chloe's heart jumped in her throat as she hauled up more rope. "Slo! Goddammit!"</p>
<p>Sloane answered back in a calm voice, "Maxie…" The lighthouse was quiet for a couple seconds as the three looked down into the tunnel. "You gotta get down here."</p>
<p>The archeologist’s eyes widened and her stomach fluttered with butterflies.</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>Max had a safety harness on that was piled up with the painting supplies. She looked at a worried girlfriend holding the rope for her. "I’m not sure. I should go first," Chloe said.</p>
<p>"I’ll be fine. I have climbed down a rope before." Max said with a smile, seeing her worried.</p>
<p>"Yeah, okay, it’s just..." Chloe didn’t like her doing this. </p>
<p>"I’ll be fine. It’s only a little way down."</p>
<p>Sloane had mentioned that the natural shaft leading down had opened up to a small five foot pocket then lead down into a narrow tunnel that had markings on it from a pickaxe. The diver had knocked it over with her foot as she lowered herself the last few feet in the darkness. It was the crashing noise they’d heard as it fell over, hitting and breaking an old lantern’s glass that was on the ground next to it.</p>
<p>Max leaned forward and kissed Chloe's nose. "I’ll be fine, leannán."</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>Chloe watched Max disappear around the corner as she lowered herself down. Chloe whispered her frustrations, also hearing Rachel mumble, "This is stupid. If she gets hurt-"</p>
<p>"If Max gets hurt, I’ll wring Sloane’s neck."</p>
<p>Rachel responded, realizing that she’d spoken out loud, "Y-yeah."</p>
<p>The two above kept their phone’s flashlight apps on the shaft opening and nervously waited.</p>
<p>Max set her feet down on the ground and looked at Sloane, who had her phone’s light activated. Max took out her flashlight and illuminated the area, taking in her surroundings for the first time. "Wowzers." There were old tools and crates for removing rock, and a three foot tunnel was in front of her. </p>
<p>"Are you okay?" Chloe asked from above.</p>
<p>"Yeah, Chlo, no problem," Max replied, undoing the harness.</p>
<p>Sloane smirked. "Surprise." She turned her light at the tunnel opening. "I only went down about thirty feet. It’s a steep decline." She crouched down and pointed the light, showing an old crate on the floor a few yards away. "This small shaft opens up in a few feet where you can stand. That crate down there is where I stopped." </p>
<p>Max crouched next to Sloane and looked, then lifted her head up at the shaft opening. "Chlo, we’re gonna take a look."</p>
<p>"K, just please be careful. Gupp-"</p>
<p>"On my life, Price," Sloane replied, knowing the worry the girlfriend had.</p>
<p>Max’s eyes darted around, taking in all the new information as she took a step forward.</p>
<p>Sloane pointed. "Careful of your head."</p>
<p>Chloe, using her phone as a flashlight, noticed a message pop up. <b>TEXTuя</b> ●🕪<em>Live</em> video stream She pressed the button and saw the back of Max’s head and the dark tunnel.</p>
<p>Sloane smirked, "We're in a hole to another universe." She changed her camera view to show Max and continued,  "I don’t know how long the signal will last. Maxie, wanna do a commentary?" Max looked back at Sloane and squinted her eyes at the phone’s light pointed at her. She shielded her eyes, turned around, and used the flashlight to point out things. "Well, the walls have been picked at." She said, looking at the striations around them. "This opening looks like an area to store material and for hauling out the rock and debris." The phone moved around, showing old wooden crates that had stone placed in them. "I wonder if this was a natural crack in the earth and it was then widened to allow passage?" The camera went back to Max. "The lantern that you broke is from..." She picked it up and examined it. "Hmm, this one has a stamp print from the Arcadian Railway Company." The archaeologist lifted her eyebrows, recalling some information, "Which was established in the early nineteen hundreds. It was bought up by the Oregon Railway in the eighties."</p>
<p>Chloe added, "Micheal could’ve used it."</p>
<p>Rachel hummed, standing next to the woman, also looking at the phone, agreeing. "I’ve seen them in the windows of the tourist shops around town."</p>
<p>"Mmhmm," Max nodded in agreement as she continued onward. The archaeologist noticed the pickaxe, shovel, metal pails, and a jerry can. "The passageway opens up further in." She crouched down then crawled on her hands and knees. "I wonder how long he wa-"</p>
<p>Chloe’s phone froze on Max’s image, then the app closed... the signal was lost. "Fuck," Chloe said, looking down the shaft again.</p>
<p>"Lost the signal," Sloane said, looking at her phone and Max looked back.</p>
<p>"Okay."</p>
<p>The two made their way under the lower portion. After a few feet the tunnel opened up again as Sloane had stated and both walked down the decline, carefully reaching the crate that Sloane had pointed out. "I didn’t go any further."</p>
<p>Max looked down at the crate and went wide-eyed. "Is that?!"</p>
<p>"Yeah, don’t light a match, K?"</p>
<p>Max looked at Sloane, pointed. "That’s!" She looked down at the crate again, frightened. "Are... is..." She didn’t know what to say.</p>
<p>"Are you planning to light a match and toss it into the crate?"</p>
<p>Max answered back like it was an absurd question. She neither carried matches and would never toss a match into a crate of dynamite, "No?!"</p>
<p>"Good, then we won’t blow up," Sloane stated as she placed a hand on Max’s arm, guiding her away. "Also, don’t kick the box, just saying." Sloane looked at the remaining five sticks in a small wooden apple crate laying on hay. She hummed. "Looks like your grandpappy used quarter sticks." Sloane got down on her knees and investigated without touching them. "They…" She leaned down further and used the light on her phone, "look relatively intact, there’s no crystallization on the top." She moved around her light, trying to read the identification marks. "This one has a stamp that says Eureka Mine?"</p>
<p>"That mine is well east of Arcadia," Max stated.</p>
<p>"It’s graded at twenty percent." Sloane looked back up at Max. "Even if it’s a quarter stick, it’s still deadly, though. If your grandpappy got these fifteen years ago, they’re unstable and extremely dangerous now. I can’t see any crystallization on top, but it will more than likely be settled on the bottom. Over time, nitroglycerin weeps out of the sticks."</p>
<p>Max didn't blink at the information.</p>
<p>"So, no matches or kicking the box." Sloane stood up and stepped back. "Or even sneezing in its direction, cause for someone that's your size you have some violent sneezes, Short Round," Sloane said with a smirk.</p>
<p>Max replied, trying not to smile with a little furrowed brow at the Indiana Jones's sidekick reference. "Quiet, you."</p>
<p>Sloane's smile widened as she pointed her phone down the tunnel. "You still wanna go further?"</p>
<p>Max looked down the tunnel. The drive for exploration pushed her onward. "Y-yeah." She looked down at the box again. "If that goes off will the tunnel come down?"</p>
<p>"Fifty-fifty chance, they’re old and out in the open, so there’s nothing to contain the blast." Sloane put a hand on the tunnel surface. "And I don't know if there are any natural cracks in the rock. The force from the shockwave drops off every cube root of the distance. To blast rock, they drilled holes and put the dynamite in them to have the effect they needed to split the rock." Sloane looked back at Max. "But still… boomy sticks can go boom."</p>
<p>There was a sound behind them and both ladies pointed their light sources and crouched down to see a pair of boots. Someone got on their hands and knees and glared back at them. "There is no way in hell I’m missing out on this," Chloe said to them.</p>
<p>-------------------</p>
<p>"Oooh, Jesus mother fuckin’ Christ in hell-" Rachel had her back up against the wall, sliding herself down the tunnel away from the dynamite after Sloane warned her of the explosives. Sloane had her eyebrows raised, smiling at the language coming out of the woman. "Jeez, Rach, you got yourself a little sailor’s mouth on ya... Vic would be impressed."</p>
<p>"Oooh, fuck me." </p>
<p>Sloane behind her, giggling, "Is that a request?"</p>
<p>Rachel furrowed her brow at the comment.</p>
<p><em> Went too far with that one, </em> Sloane thought. "Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood, Lieutenant."</p>
<p>Max and Chloe walked further into the tunnel, keeping their eyes peeled for any obstructions. "Careful, the ground is wet here," Chloe said.</p>
<p>Max tilted her light up against the wall of the tunnel. "Mmhmm, the walls too, there’s a lot of moisture in the air here." Rachel and Sloane caught up with them and continued on with Max in the lead. "I can’t believe he did this and no one knew. How did he get away with using dynamite and no one knowing?"</p>
<p>Sloane replied from the back, "Uhm, if I had to do it without anyone knowing..." she quickly thought, "Since this coast rains a lot, I would wait for a thunderstorm and set one off. No one would feel the shockwave unless they were directly above the lighthouse... and the noise, if anyone was nearby, could’ve thought that it was one weird thunder crack. Kinda like if you’ve ever heard lightning hitting a transformer on a pole-" Sloane's voice became quick with excitement "Oh-my-god-this-is-like-the-Goonies!"</p>
<p>The three women ahead of her stopped, turned around and pointed their lights at her. Chloe smiled along with Max at the movie reference. Rachel tilted her head, furrowed her brow, and lightly shook her head. "What goes on in your head?" she asked.</p>
<p>Sloane replied, "We’re... we… we found a treasure map that a freakin’ pirate had, and now we’re in a cave and a business dude has taken away Max’s family home. How is this not like The Goonies?" Before Rachel could answer, Sloane was speaking again, "Well, we don’t have the brothers and mom after us, but we did have people try and kill us, and-" Sloane smirked at Rachel, catching the Lieutenant off guard, "-And there hasn’t been a kiss yet in the cave."</p>
<p>Rachel simply stared with no reply.</p>
<p><em> Shit, I went too far again, </em> Sloane thought. <em> Stop being a fucking creep </em> . Rachel stepped towards Sloane, surprising her. <em> Oh Gods, she’s- </em></p>
<p>Rachel was less than a foot away from the frozen woman. She slyly smiled and looked at Sloane's lips, then at Sloane's reaction of being completely stunned. Rachel tilted her head slightly and whispered, "Max kissed Chloe before she went down the shaft." The Lieutenant then stepped away and turned around, walking towards the leading pair. "Plus," Rachel added, looking over her shoulder, "there’s no Sloth," Sloane smirked, coming out of a trance.</p>
<p>"Have you not met Victoria?" Chloe replied ahead of them.</p>
<p>Max snorted, laughing with the ladies. She then turned and walked forward around a small bend, saying the famous quote from the movie, "Goonies never say- holy shit!"</p>
<p>Chloe turned, not seeing Max in front of her. She walked forward, disappearing around the corner as Rachel and Sloane heard her say, "That is not how it goes." Chloe stepped next to Max, tilted her light, then rectifying the catchphrase, "It’s Goonies-ho-ly shit!"</p>
<p>Rachel looked back at Sloane, who was staring past her and towards the tunnel exit with the same looked of confusion and curiosity.</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>The four stood in silence for a moment with their lights pointed outwards. They peered out into a large, dark cavern. To the left, the flashlight’s illumination bounced off the water’s reflection of the lagoon. Max’s flashlight traveled across the water to see where it ended and they all noticed the packed boulders, showing the cavern had collapsed some time ago, sealing the outside world.<br/>A minimal amount of moonlight peered through cracks and small openings, just enough that the light reflected off of the lagoon’s still surface. It was surreal and beautiful on its own, but what had their full attention was a large silhouette.</p>
<p>The flashlight traveled from the waterline to the cavern's rocky terrain and in front of them, not twenty yards away, an 18th-century boat was dry-docked among crates, barrels, and casks.</p>
<p>"Wowzers," Max whispered.</p>
<p>"Daaamn," Chloe said, lifting her phone's light.</p>
<p>"Ho-ly shit," the Lieutenant spoke, amazed.</p>
<p>Sloane whispered, wide-eyed and smiling, "Goonies never say die." </p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>They carefully made their way over to the wooden boat. "It looks like a modified British gunboat," Max commented as she got closer.</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>At just over fifty feet, the open boat had a single mast with a lateen rig and sail that was folded away. The cannon and gun swivels that were once on the front of the boat were removed and replaced with a canvas tent, held up by thin timber logs. Max pointed at the supplies piled by the side of the boat. She knelt and picked up a small but heavy cask with an iron bracket handle on the side; she knew the burn mark identification on the top. Max gave it a shake and smiled at the group. "It’s a water cask, and it’s still full." She carefully put it down then pointed the flashlight at a box crate that contained fishing supplies and small containers. Max picked up a small clay bowl, looked at it for a moment, then opened it. The archaeologist immediately recoiled and covered her nose, placing it back. "Auuugh, yeah, that’s rancid whale oil."</p>
<p>Chloe held her nose. "Augh, sweet Jesus, that's bad. It smells like Sloane’s butt after spicy food."</p>
<p>Sloane protested, "Hey, my butt does- ooh shit that’s bad." Agreeing with her nose wrinkled.</p>
<p>Rachel turned and buried her nose in her jacket. "Oh my God."</p>
<p>Max stood up and waved her hand across her face to dissipate the smell. She looked up at the boat with Chloe by her side. The diver leaned to her side and bumped Max's shoulder. "You want a lift up to get on board?"</p>
<p>Max grinned excitedly. "Yeah."</p>
<p>Chloe was in as much awe of seeing Max in her element as she was of the vessel. This was a side of Max she hadn’t yet seen, and she wanted to soak in every second of it. Chloe hoisted Max’s foot up in her clasped hands and Max climbed on board. Sloane stepped forward and hoisted Chloe next, then Rachel put her hand on top of Sloane’s head as she put her foot in the brunette’s clasped hands. She warned the woman, "Don’t drop me." Sloane, with a little more heft, tossed Rachel upwards. The Lieutenant let out a little yelp as she went up and over the side, with Chloe giggling. Sloane, with the help of Chloe and Rachel, got on board. She landed with a thud on the deck as Rachel hauled at the woman’s belt to drag her up and over the side like a big fish. </p>
<p>Once all on deck, they looked around at the supplies. "It was packed and pretty much ready to go," Chloe commented.</p>
<p>Sloane touched the rolled canvas sail, inspecting it. "The canvas is still intact; it’s degraded a little but overall not bad for being well over a century old."</p>
<p>"Did this belong to Bancroft?" Rachel asked.</p>
<p>The two divers didn’t answer but turned with their phone lights when they heard Max let out another ‘wowzers.’ She had untied the tent’s door flap and was standing at the entranceway.</p>
<p>The four stood in the tent, looking at a small cot. Next to it was a crib made of saplings, folded clothes, a few chests, and a stool with a small table. On top of that was a candle, book, quill, and ink.</p>
<p>Max sat on the stool, opened the book and discovered that it was a journal. She carefully flipped through the entries, choosing to read the last entry first to herself.</p>
<p><em> I’ve packed the Arcadian with enough supplies to get us north., Aponi </em> (Butterfly) <em> and Chimalis </em> (Bluebird) <em> have readied themselves for my return. I feel a sense of relief, for this is my last venture. This life for me that I have led for so long is at an end. I have a family to look after and a responsibility to take care of them. I can not live this unlawful life anymore. Aponi, my beloved, I want to do better for her and for my beautiful child. We are expecting another and I want to live a clean life away from the one I have led and I am looking forward to it. I may be looked down upon for choosing this woman, but I do not care.  She is the one that I fell in love with and she is in love with me. If others cannot look past that she is native and see our love, they can all go to hell. I will do any and everything to keep them safe. I shall return to them in a fortnight and finally leave this life behind. </em></p>
<p>
  <em> September 2nd 1853 </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> William Bancroft </em>
</p>
<p>Max came out of her narrative reading, hearing the three others.</p>
<p>"Don’t put that on your head," Chloe loudly whispered.</p>
<p>"Why not?" Sloane matched Chloe’s tone.</p>
<p>"It belongs to a dead guy."</p>
<p>"So, it’s not on a dead skeleton."</p>
<p>"Gimmie."</p>
<p>"Nu-uh," Sloane said, keeping it away.</p>
<p>"You know the rules."</p>
<p>"Nu-uh."</p>
<p>"We shook on it."</p>
<p>"But-"</p>
<p>Chloe had her hand out, waiting. Sloane pouted and passed over the tricorn hat. "I get the pirate’s hat and you get the saber."</p>
<p>"But I didn’t find a saber."</p>
<p>"Not my fault," Chloe said. She put on the tricorn hat.</p>
<p>Rachel replied, holding her smile, "What happens if it has lice in it."</p>
<p>Chloe’s eyes widened and she took off the hat with Rachel and Sloane chuckling. Sloane kept chuckling as she spoke, "Think you’re safe, Captain Crunch, the over century-old lice are long gone."</p>
<p>Chloe tapped the top of the tricorn to get rid of any 'mini skeletons,' then put the hat back on and smiled, standing up straight. "I’m a pirate."</p>
<p>Max smiled at her love. "And they say dreams don’t come true."</p>
<p>"Arrrr," Chloe replied.</p>
<p>"So did this belong to Bancroft?" Rachel asked, seeing Max with the journal.</p>
<p>Max smiled and nodded, "We are on board The Arcadian that was bound for northern territories." Max filled them in on the bit she had read to herself as the others had snooped around the room. Chloe carefully lifted a blanket that was draped over something in the corner and smiled.</p>
<p>"Can you open it?" Chloe asked Sloane.</p>
<p>"Pfff, can I open it..." Sloane glared at her dive partner's silly question. The four looked at Chloe’s find of a small two foot by a foot bulky chest with a heavy iron lock.</p>
<p>Sloane stepped over to Rachel and smiled. "May I?" Sloane had her hand up next to Rachel’s head. "I just need one." Rachel took off her ball cap and took out one bobby pin that helped keep her tight bun up. "Thank you." Sloane put it in her mouth, bit down on the tip, then bent the metal pin with her fingers. She dove into her pants pocket to retrieve her multitool, then turned and sat on the floor in front of the chest with a smirk. Chloe kept her light steady for the woman and listened to her quietly hum and sing as she got to work. "Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me..." The three ladies standing behind her couldn’t help but smile.</p>
<p>With some clicks and clacks, the chest lock finally opened. "This was harder than the ones on the lighthouse door." Sloane pocketed her items and removed the lock, then stood up and took a step back. "You have the honors, Doctor Caulfield."</p>
<p>Max, surprised at the opportunity, looked at the unopened chest then back at the three women smiling at her. The treasure hunt that began months ago for her, and for others, a lifetime ago, was at an end. She knelt with lights pointed at her, lifted the iron latch, and opened William Bancroft's hidden chest.</p>
<p>It wasn’t the surprise they were hoping for. "What the?" Rachel said, confused.</p>
<p>"Shit, it was probably just a material chest," Sloane remarked, then furrowed her brow, looking at the lock, confused. "That was... heavily locked?"</p>
<p>Max looked at the single content in the chest with confusion. Her eyes darted around as she thought, then back down at the item. Her heart skipped a beat. The archaeologist sat back on her knees and looked up at Chloe, looking down at the chest, baffled. Max waited and watched. Chloe’s blue eyes darted back and forth with her brow furrowed, trying to understand, then, the furrow dropped, and her blue eyes widened when the story came to her. She looked at Max, seeing the woman with a small smile looking up at her. "Are you kidding me?" the diver said with a smile, astounded.</p>
<p>Sloane looked at Chloe, then at Max, not getting why they were happy. "What? What’s going on? There’s nothing valuable there."</p>
<p>Chloe quietly replied as she looked at Max with so much love, "Yeah, there is." Chloe knelt, facing Max. She slightly shook her head at how everything was coming together. Rachel and Sloane silently watched, listening to Chloe. "It’s the last clue. One not written on the map. One last clue meant for no one else but a thirteen-year-old girl to figure out." Max’s eyes started to glass over as Chloe continued, "He was going to give you the map." Chloe smiled a gentle smile and placed her hand on Max’s upper arm. "It was his gift to you."</p>
<p>Max’s eyes widened and her mouth opened a little. The archaeologist, the granddaughter of a novice treasure hunter, looked down again into the chest, listening to Chloe. "Micheal did find it, but he wanted you to also be a part of it. He knew his mind was declining... this was the last thing he was able to do and it was for you to find."</p>
<p>Max fought back the tears as she looked down into the chest at a small whale vertebra.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Finder's Keeper's</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>HeyHey everyone. Who wants to have the name of someone special in this AU story? :)<br/>As a thank you for reading The Chase, I'm gonna again run a little contest as I've done in one of my previous LiS stories ( ﾟｰﾟ)<br/>Leave a full name or names in the comment field and they'll be added to the list that has been started. Then I'll randomly pick a few names to place into a future chapter ٩(ᐛ)و</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chloe had wrapped her jacket around Max to keep her warm. Deep in thought, Max sat on the boat’s edge, quiet, wide-eyed, and trembling. The archaeologist had told Sloane and Rachel her childhood memory and that Bancroft’s treasure was buried in her grandfather’s backyard, under an old tire swing. Right now, Max was having an internal discussion, nodding and shaking her head to herself, comprehending everything that had happened for this moment to be possible.<em> I took his satchel… </em> Max thought of the beginning of her journey, the day her younger self took her grandfather's bag before they left Arcadia. <em> That's what they were looking for. </em> She thought of how she walked out the door, remembering her father handing over Micheal's home keys. <em> I just walked out of the house and right by them. </em> Max thought of the years that went by where she carried Micheal's satchel, making it her own. She thought of the times she'd read stories, always using the same bookmark he had used to mark her place. Max lightly shook her head, deep into her memories. <em> That bookmark. </em>That small piece of parchment led to this moment in time.</p><p>Rachel sat next to Max on a small keg, keeping an eye on the woman as she took a few pictures of the boat with her phone. Chloe and Sloane were back-on to them on the other side of the boat, having a quiet and important discussion.</p><p>"I mean we could..." Sloane said in a low voice, looking at Chloe.</p><p>Chloe tilted up the tricorn hat on her head. "Yeah, but, she would be mad... we really can’t take it," she replied quietly.</p><p>"It’s only a little. What are they gonna do? Ask for it back?" Sloane stated her side.</p><p>Chloe smiled as she scratched the back of her neck. "Well, they would have to wait a couple of hours to at least get some of it back."</p><p>Sloane quietly chuckled, then glanced over her shoulder at the archaeologist. "Besides," she looked back at her dive partner, "if anyone needs one right now, it’s her."</p><p>Chloe peeped back at Max, seeing her hold her opposite upper arm; her phone was on her lap with the home screen illuminating her face in the dark cavern as she stared at the deck.</p><p>"Yeah," Chloe replied.</p><p>Sloane retrieved a clay candle holder in the tent and cleaned it out with her hoodie as Chloe used Sloane’s multitool for a moment, then she sat next to her dazed girlfriend. The archaeologist looked over at Chloe and spoke her thoughts to her, "-And then there has to be the issue with the State of Oregon to allow-"</p><p>"Love, drink this," Chloe said as she wrapped one of Max's trembling hands around a small candle holder. "It will help a little."</p><p>Max, not looking at the liquid she was about to drink or questioning why it was in a candle holder, drank the hundred and fifty-year-old rum in one gulp. Max’s eyes bulged and she coughed, the burn and the quick evaporation of the alcohol made her eyes water. She coughed again and again.</p><p>"What did you give her?!" Rachel asked, concerned, looking back and forth between the two divers.</p><p>Sloane pointed with her thumb at the small cask on the deck. "Just some rum."</p><p>Max looked up at Sloane with tears in her eyes as she held her breath, then grabbed Chloe's leg and squeezed hard as she went into another coughing fit. Chloe held Max’s hand as she looked up at Sloane with the look of ‘uh-oh.’ Sloane glanced at Chloe and winced, thinking maybe she shouldn't have filled it to the brim. </p><p>After a long minute, Max was able to talk with a rough voice, "Jesus Christ, Chloe." She cleared her irritated throat. "That rum is probably 120 proof!"</p><p>Sloane’s eyes widened and her voice was low with happiness, "Oooh shit, Navy rum! That’ll grow some chest hairs on ya."</p><p>Rachel, confused again, looked at Sloane. "What?!"</p><p>Max chuckled and coughed again. Chloe leaned over and held out Max’s shirt collar to look. Max batted her hand away. "Get out of it."</p><p>Chloe giggled. "Yep, she got a chest full of curlies on there now and an anchor tattoo on her chest." Sloane meowed at the woman as Chloe added, "I’m so turned on right now."</p><p>Rachel shook her head and chuckled as Chloe took off the tricorn hat and placed it on Max. "You’re a full-fledged pirate now!" Sloane smiled, agreeing. "Henceforth, you will be known as-" Chloe paused as she came up with a name. She grinned and looked at Max, who smiled back with a little furrowed brow. "-Long Indy Mad Max Silver, Scourge of the Pacific Seas."</p><p>Max chuckled as the two divers celebrated. "Huzzah!" </p><p>Sloane smirked. "So, you okay, Mad Max?" The diver tilted her head to the side and added, "Not gonna keel over on us?"</p><p>Max tossed the temporary shot glass at Sloane as she cleared her throat again. "No, but that..." she pointed to the rum cask, "is potent."</p><p>Chloe slyly asked, "Potent as in poisonous, ooor?"</p><p>Max smiled and lightly shook her head. <em> You two. </em> "Since you already opened the damn thing," she looked at Sloane holding the candlestick holder with her Cheshire grin, "one ration for the lot of ya."</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>After another round of everyone coughing over the strong alcohol and feeling the burn in their throats and stomachs, Chloe cleared her throat a couple of times before she spoke, "So what’s the plan, Mad Max?"</p><p>Max let out a deep breath. "Put everything back the way it was and climb back up." The archaeologist stared at the deck as she continued, "I’ll phone the university first thing in the morning and also talk with Mark." She looked up and took a deep breath, then let it out as she continued, "Then I have to get in touch with the mayor, then the Oregon Historical Department and tell them. I’m hoping that the mayor will have the area blocked off as soon as possible to keep the public away." Max furrowed her brow a little, thinking. "I should message Mark first instead with some pictures and ask him to get in touch with the mayor. There’ll probably be-" Max blinked a few times and thought of the count, "-maybe half a dozen Professors from the university that will immediately come down and want to take the lead of the site."</p><p>"Why not you?" Chloe immediately asked, confused. "You’re the one who found it." Max shook her head as Chloe continued, "Jesus, Max it’s on your property."</p><p>Max raised her eyebrows and looked at the woman. "No, it’s not. It’s on the Prescott’s property." She looked back down then around the deck of the historical find. "And I don’t even have my first solo excavation under my belt."</p><p>"Unbelievable, that’s..." Rachel paused. "Sean will throw his lawyers into it to make sure he gets some sort of cut of the findings."</p><p>Max replied, "The state will not give him anything from the find. However, they will probably give him money to have the land excavated." She looked up at Chloe and continued, a little disheartened, "The university or state might outright buy the property also, since it’s up for sale."</p><p>"Fuck, that’s not right, Chloe said. "It’s yours, and your grandfather’s find… they can’t take everything away."</p><p>Rachel spoke up, looking at Max, "Technically, no one will know where the treasure is, all they have is a whalebone. Like you said, Micheal left it for you to find."</p><p>Sloane added, "The Chase Foundation could step in and buy the land and hire you to do the dig."</p><p>Max replied, "It wouldn’t look good for me professionally if I kept that information from the state or university."</p><p>"You wouldn’t have to keep it quiet for long, just when the property is bought. Go back to the university and state and inform them. How could they be mad when you tell them the complete story of you and your grandfather? It wouldn’t make any difference to them if they paid the Prescotts or you."</p><p>Max shook her head. "I don’t want the money. I would like to keep the land and I just want to be part of it."</p><p>Rachel replied, "Then make that one of your requirements; you are the one that owned the map and figured most of it out. You have more information about this whole thing than anyone else."</p><p>Max smiled.</p><p>Chloe added, "Also, what the fuck? This is your find and you're under no obligation to tell them. You were pursuing your own project off company hours."</p><p>Sloane agreed with Chloe, "She's right, Maxie, this is what The Chase Foundation is all about. Let us help you."</p><p>Max didn’t say anything back. She looked at Chloe and considered everyone’s words. Chloe smiled when Max lightly nodded her head, seeing the archaeologist was getting on board with the idea. "Yeaaah, that’s right, my pirate is gonna claim her find!" Chloe announced, hugging Max from the side.</p><p>Max asked as her body was squished from the bear hug, "Are you sure The Chase Foundation will buy the property for that price?"</p><p>"Love, The Foundation is not for profit, all funds are by people with an insane amount of money, plus-" Chloe and Sloane looked at each other and Sloane chuckled, "She hasn’t met him."</p><p>Chloe laughed with her dive partner. "No, but he would probably be here within 24 hours of hearing about everything."</p><p>Sloane added, "Or less." She then giggled. "Vic is gonna be sooo pissed." Chloe joined in on the giggling with her dive partner.</p><p>Rachel again, not understanding, asked, "Can you two stop giggling like kids and let us in on the joke?"</p><p>Chloe smirked at Sloane, then looked at Max and Rachel. "Ahhh, the Admiral will probably outright buy the property."</p><p>"Admiral?" Max replied, confused.</p><p>"Yeah, the founder of the Chase Foundation is… Vic’s dad."</p><p>Both Max and Rachel were surprised at that information. Sloane smiled and continued, "He’s like Sean Connery from The Hunt for Red October, except he doesn’t have a Scottish accent…" Sloane thought for a second, "or a Russian accent." She raised her eyebrows to explain further. "I mean, he can do a pretty good Scottish accent and he can also make really good martinis." Sloane then blurted out, "N' we may have also gotten drunk with him and freed a panda that was being shown off at a charity ball for Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo, but don’t tell Vic that! She gets angry when we hang out with the Admiral."</p><p>Max and Rachel started at Sloane, confused and stunned. "What?!" Rachel replied as Max looked at Chloe, who had her fist up in the air. "Free the pandas."</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Max had laid the tricorn hat back where Sloane had found it, along with everything else that was removed from their original spots. She then looked at the last picture she took of the area, wishing her phone could get a signal out. "My phone’s battery just hit 23%." The four had their phone’s lights activated at one point or another, draining their power.</p><p>"I’m at 37," Rachel commented. </p><p>"78," Chloe replied with the flashlight.</p><p>"8," Sloane commented. The other three looked at her and she felt like she had to explain. "I was playing Hawt Dawg Man before we left the ship. Didn’t think we would be in a dark cavern finding a pirate getaway boat."</p><p>Chloe stated, "Right, let’s head up and over to The Chase. You can inform Mark," She said to Max, then she glanced at Sloane. "And we will enlighten one soon-to-be-pissed Boss Lady."</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>The four walked towards the tunnel. Max was looking at her phone, quickly scanning the photos she had taken to make sure she had what she needed as Chloe held the flashlight for everyone. Then she noticed a bright light shine in front of her at the tunnel entrance. "Don’t fucking move!"</p><p>Max gasped as she noticed the silhouette of a gun pointed straight at her face.</p><p>In the next few seconds, all hell broke loose. Rachel had gone for her weapon and fired off a shot, missing the gunman in the blinding light. Chloe had shined her light towards the gunman, hoping to blind him, then stepped forward in front of Max and kicked the gunman in the hip, off-balancing him just before he shot back, grazing Chloe's jacket. He dropped his flashlight and fired off another round blindly as Rachel fired back again, squinting at her dark spots from getting blinded by the light. The four women took cover, with Chloe grabbing Max and taking her behind some large silhouetted rocks and turning off the flashlight. Sloane had run back, taking cover behind a large rock and a few kegs she knew were in the vicinity. She looked to her left, not knowing where Rachel had gone. <em> Fuck! </em> Seconds later, there was quietness as the last reverb gunshot sound died out. The only source of light was the shooters' discarded flashlight, which illuminated one of the cavern walls.</p><p>Chloe, shielding Max’s body, whispered into the woman's ear, "The waterline is behind you about fifteen feet. If anything happens, get in the water and dive down if he shoots at you."</p><p>Max whispered back, holding Chloe's jacket, terrified, "Chloe."</p><p>Sloane, on her stomach, peered out from the side of a barrel in the darkness with a finger in her ear, wincing at the loudness the gunfire was in the cavern. She spoke loudly, "Nice to see your face again. Did you grow that teenage peachfuzz all by yourself?" Sloane recognized the shooter. It was the man that had broken into Rachel’s home. He had tried to conceal his identity by growing a beard and failed miserably by wearing the same clothes he had worn that day. His response to Sloane's question was to fire a shot in her direction.</p><p>Rachel returned fire in the direction of seeing the muzzle flash as she had taken cover on the ground in a natural dip in the cavern floor.</p><p>Sloane flinched and closed her eyes with a small bit of dirt and stone hitting her in the face. She hauled her hand back, feeling a sharp pain in a finger, and held her hand. <em> 1,2,3,4,5... oh thank the gods, they're still there. </em> She put part of her index finger in her mouth, tasting blood. <em> Ow. That one's my favorite. </em> Sloane turned and laid on her back. "Heh heh, not a good shot, loser. Hope you have another magazine on ya." Sloane hoped he didn’t as she thought of the cavern's layout and where Max and Chloe were, then looked to her opposite side, cursing to herself for not knowing where Rachel was. <em> She's okay, she's okay, she has to be okay. Please be okay. </em></p><p>Chloe felt around for anything, knowing there were some of Bancroft's supplies around. Her hand blindly lay upon something in a small crate. She had no idea what it was as she heard Sloane continue, "I’m guessin’ from the last gun I took from you, you go for looks rather than function." </p><p>Sloane rolled back onto her stomach and peered again from behind the keg. "So I’m guessing you have seven rounds left." </p><p>Chloe knew that Sloane was trying to distract the shooter. With Max in her arms, the diver threw what she had picked up high and long into the air opposite the direction of the illuminated cavern wall. It hit off the wall with a smash, then added sounds of the clays hitting the ground. The gunman fired off another shot in the direction of the noise, thinking someone was coming up from the left of him. The echo reverberated again around the cavern once more. Sloane had taken the time to move to another location and started taunting again, "Make that six rounds, or is it five. Heh heh heh. You’re fucked." The shooter turned, pointing his gun in the darkness, looking for the voice that had moved around.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Eliot had crouched down behind a large rock and tried to control his breathing after missing at point blank range. He raged at himself for not hitting any of them and dropping his flashlight that was out of reach. He had the advantage of surprise and blew it, cursing that he should have just shot and not worried about his conscience. Then when he heard a woman’s voice greet him as if they were friends, he began to panic.</p><p>"Nice to see your face again-"</p><p>Eliot shot in the direction of the voice. <em> Fuck! She knows who I am </em> . He flinched when there was a shot fired back at him to his right. <em> Fuck! </em> His mind ran through multiple scenarios of what he could do. The woman kept talking, feeding into his rage and panic.</p><p>"Heh heh, not a good shot, loser-"</p><p>
  <em> Fuck you! </em>
</p><p>"-hope you have another magazine on ya."</p><p><em> Shut the fuck up! </em> When confronted with a physical situation, Eliot only used his gun as a tactic to scare people. Firing his weapon that day in the Coast Guard’s home was the first time he did so. The man was used to being kept out of the dirty physical affairs; his job was always to dig up the information. He realized his stupidity of trying to move away from Nathan’s low paying dog work and constant ‘bitching’ of how his father kept failing.</p><p>Eliot, after having a cigarette and time to build up his courage, knew that Sean was running out of men. He had stepped up and went to the man and asked what he could do. Sean had chuckled at his son’s friend trying to get a job. It riled up Eliot that he outright told Sean what he and Nathan were up to. Sean was livid, finding out his son was overstepping his authority and putting him and his empire in jeopardy. The father had called his son into his office as Eliot waited. There, Sean didn't waste any time dishing out his discipline. He yelled at his son with threats, then began beating him. With Nathan on the ground, bleeding from the nose and mouth, Sean went to his desk drawer, hauled out a gun, and pointed it at his son. Eliot watched the father belittle his own flesh and blood with no ounce of love in his heart for him. Nathan cried and begged for his father not to do it. He pleaded that he was sorry for overstepping his position and only wanted to prove to him that he was good enough to be a part of the family business. His father didn’t let up and called him weak and a 'man child' that never amounted to anything but a ‘pretend gangster.’ Sean inquired what else Eliot knew and the timid man wasted no time speaking, saying that the three women were walking towards the lighthouse when he last saw them. He didn’t know the reason why and he hadn’t been there long enough to see the Coast Guard officer arrive later on.</p><p>Sean’s mind began to wander again. There was no reason for the women to be at the lighthouse in the middle of the night, <em> unless... </em> He questioned Eliot again for more information. When he couldn’t produce any answers, Sean yelled at Eliot again, asking what use he was, then wondered what else his useless son had divulged to his friend about his business affairs. Eliot, already realizing he was in over his head, and seeing Sean with a gun still in his hand, had no card to play. He replied, ‘I will do anything.’ Sean scoffed at the twenty-something-year-old and glared at him. He then gave Eliot his first order. He was to go back to the lighthouse and kill the two divers and then bring Maxine to an underground bunker where she would be forced to answer questions about Bancroft's map.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Eliot peered out from behind the large rock, not seeing anyone; how could he when he didn't have a flashlight. He swallowed on a dry throat as his gun hand trembled, hearing the woman's voice again, "-I’m guessin’ from the last gun you left behind, you go for looks rather than function. So I’m guessing you have seven rounds left." Eliot glanced at his weapon. He didn't know how many shots he had left.</p><p>Eliot spun to this left once he heard a noise by the wall. He blindly shot again, thinking someone was trying to get around him. <em> Fuck! </em> He heard laughter in the darkness from a different area, taunting him. Eliot pointed his shaking gun hand in the direction of the sound. His eyes darted around again for any movement. With the small bit of illumination from his dropped flashlight, he could see the tunnel opening behind him. <em> Fuck this! </em>Eliot wanted out now. He ran and blindly fired two shots behind him to give himself some cover to escape. Once in the tunnel, he used his phone’s light and ran, slipping and sliding on the wet, steep surface. </p><p>"He went into the tunnel," Chloe said, still holding Max. She looked down at the woman. "You okay?!"</p><p>Max nodded. "Yeah."</p><p>Rachel, with her gun aimed, peered up from her cover, scanning the area. "Can I get a light on the tunnel?"</p><p>Chloe turned on the flashlight and aimed it where Rachel needed it to be.</p><p>"Everyone okay?" Sloane asked, relieved to hear almost everyone's voice.</p><p>"I'm good," Rachel replied.</p><p>"We’re fine," Chloe answered, then asked, "What about you?"</p><p>"Yeah, I’m good. It's the guy that broke into Rachel's home," Sloane replied in a lower running crouch, passing the two women taking cover. Cautiously and with her eyes on the tunnel entrance, she picked up the discarded flashlight. "L.T, with me."</p><p>Rachel got up from the ground and made her way towards the entrance. Sloane tossed the officer the flashlight then retrieved Chloe's, getting her partner and the doctor to stay behind.</p><p>Rachel, with her back against the wall, held down her light onto her pant leg to cover the light and peeked into the tunnel to see if there was any illumination from inside. </p><p>Chloe was on the other side of the opening. She whispered, "He turned on a small light when he entered, probably his phone."</p><p>Rachel quietly replied, "He might be waiting for us to enter." She then whispered next to Sloane’s ear, "How did you know how many rounds he had?"</p><p>Rachel picked up Sloane’s smirk in the darkness. "Didn’t and still don't."</p><p>"Jesus Christ."</p><p>"You ready, Lieutenant?" Sloane asked.</p><p>Rachel swallowed and took a deep breath. <em> I should’ve done more CQ training</em>. She let her held breath go and nodded.</p><p>"Keep the light high, you know he'll aim for it. Rely on your training. You’re good at it," Sloane encouraged her.</p><p>Chloe nodded to her dive partner. "See you in a bit." </p><p>"Aye," Sloane replied as she placed her hand on the back of Rachel's shoulder. "On your back." She stated, waiting for the Lieutenant to move.</p><p>Rachel’s heart pounded in her ears as she stepped forward with her gun and light aimed. Both women moved swiftly and listened to the distant movements ahead of them from the gunman escaping. The Lieutenant stopped in her tracks when she heard the sound of a painful grunt. <em> Did I hit him? </em> She pointed her flashlight to the right more, trying to see if she could spot him.</p><p>Eliot slipped in the wet incline, landing on his wrist, and yelped in pain. He immediately rolled to his back, wincing in pain, and pointed his gun down the tunnel. Seeing the faint illumination on the other end, he fired off another two rounds. "Fuck!" He got up, holding his broken wrist closer to his chest, and quickly moved towards the exit. </p><p>Rachel flinched in pain as a bullet ricocheted off the wall and a piece of stone hit her just below her eye. She took a step back but kept her gun up and turned her light off. Sloane followed suit with her light and squeezed the officer's shoulder, pushing her down into a crouch. "I’m good," Rachel whispered before Sloane could ask. They paused for a moment in the darkness, listening to the gunman's clearly panicked voice, breathing heavily and loudly, swearing as he kept moving away from them.</p><p>Sloane felt the officer move forward and the Lieutenant spoke, "Keep your light off." Rachel turned her's back on and moved ahead with Sloane trailing behind.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>The Lieutenant paused and turned off her light once more, listening, and now watching the faint light ahead of them just around a curve in the tunnel. She moved forward quickly and crouched down with Sloane doing the same, then held her flashlight high and to the side of her. She aimed her gun and shouted, "U.S Coast Gua-"</p><p>Eliot, surprised, turned and blindly started shooting towards the light. The Lieutenant, with a steady aim, shot off two rounds.</p><p>Eliot felt the burn in his shoulder and he dropped to the ground, letting out a high-pitched grunt. Both his gun and phone fell from his hands. He lay on his back and writhed in pain as he watched the light coming towards him, terrified that he was going to die. His phone illuminated the tunnel around him just enough for him to see his last way out. </p><p>Rachel swiftly and carefully moved ahead with her gun pointed as she stepped around a bend in the tunnel. Her light fell upon the man on the ground and she administered the warning again, "U.S Coast Guard, don’t move!" Rachel's eyes widened in fear. She turned immediately and tackled Sloane to the ground.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Chloe leaned up against the outer opening of the tunnel whispered ‘fuck’ over and over, hearing the gunfire back and forth. She felt helpless. Max held Chloe’s hand, frightened, flinching every time she heard a gunshot. Then they both heard Rachel announce who she was, followed by another few rounds going off and silence once more. Chloe felt her stomach drop. She squeezed Max’s hand with her mind repeating,<em> please be okay </em> . When she heard Rachel’s voice again, most of the stress weight dropped off her shoulders. <em> They're okay. They got him. </em> Chloe let go of Max's hand, turned, and took a few steps into the tunnel. The diver flinched when she heard the explosion and automatically shielded her face as she felt the shockwave and the pelting of debris hitting her. She crouched down, getting her bearings from the blast and yelled, terrified, "SLOANE!"</p><p>"Chloe!" Max yelled. She came around the corner and into the tunnel, grabbing at the woman. "Are you okay?"</p><p>Chloe squinted with debris in her eyes. She rubbed her face. "Stay here."</p><p>"Chloe."</p><p>"Please, stay here!" Chloe stood up. Her voice was calm, "I’ll be right back, love, promise." Chloe turned on her phone's light. "Turn on yours and move out of the tunnel." Max did so. "I'll be right back," Chloe said, hauling up her shirt collar over her nose and mouth.<br/>
"You better," Max replied.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>The dropped flashlight illuminated the tunnel as heavy dust floated in the air. Sloane’s ears rang. She groaned, then coughed, feeling the grit in her mouth and then the weight of Rachel's body on top of her. Sloane wrapped an arm around the woman and groaned her name, coughing again, "Ra-chel." The Lieutenant didn’t respond. Sloane coughed again, sucking in more dust into her lungs, and rolled the woman to her side. The Lieutenant’s eyes were open and unfocused; she was stunned from the explosion and unaware of anything. Sloane, careful with her, called her name again. "Rachel?" She rubbed the woman’s upper arm. The Lieutenant blinked and her head bobbed back, not able to keep it up. "Rachel." Sloane coughed again, then she put Rachel’s shirt collar over the woman’s mouth and nose to protect her from the dust. The Lieutenant simply stared at nothing, then coughed and closed her eyes hard, wincing. Sloane rubbed the woman’s upper arm again. "Easy, don’t try to move, sweetie." Rachel laid her head down onto Sloane's shoulder and she let out a small groan.</p><p>Chloe came up from behind. "Slo, Rach!" She knelt down by their heads. Sloane looked up, her voice was a little louder when she spoke, "I’m okay, my ears are ringing," Sloane looked at Rachel, "She got the full blast being in front!"</p><p>Chloe started to check Rachel for bleeding. Chloe spoke loudly for Sloane to hear her, "She has a cut under her eye, nowhere else. But could have internal issues." </p><p>"How far are we from the explosion?"</p><p>Chloe picked up Rachel’s flashlight and stepped around the bend in the tunnel, pointed the light down the twisting and turning tunnel and grimaced at the scene. <em> Jesus Christ. </em> She turned back and knelt down again. "About ten to fifteen yards."</p><p>"Is she breathing okay? Any strain?" Sloane looked at Chloe, getting her full attention. "Blast lung?!"</p><p>Chloe nodded, she understood what Sloane was worried about. "Her breathing looks okay, but it's too dusty in here and she's dazed."</p><p>Sloane nodded. "Any way out? How bad is it?" She coughed again. Chloe lifted her dive partner's shirt collar to cover her nose and mouth. "No way that I can see. There’s too much dust. We have to get out."</p><p>Sloane wrapped her arm around Rachel. "Help me," she asked. Chloe obliged and got Rachel in a sitting position. Sloane got her knees and was about to pick up the woman. Chloe stepped in. "Not today, partner." Sloane didn't object. She felt too dazed at the moment and coughed again, spitting out dirt as she leaned on the side of the tunnel. She helped Chloe put the officer in a fireman carry and led the way back into the cavern.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Max watched Chloe come out of the tunnel with Rachel draped over her shoulders and Sloane trailing behind them covered in dust and debris. "Rachel!"</p><p>"Over by the waterline," Chloe said for Sloane to follow.</p><p>Chloe laid Rachel on the ground, turned the woman on her side and did another check of her condition. The Lieutenant was slowly coming to and started coughing again. Sloane handed one of the flashlights to Chloe, then the other to Max. She then went to the waterline, washed the dust from her face, and cleared out her nose. Sloane took off her jacket and hoodie, then dipped the cotton sleeve into the water and went back to Rachel and began to clean her face and the cut just below her eye. "How is she?" Sloane asked with a dry, ragged voice.</p><p>"She looks okay," Chloe replied as Max held the flashlight above the two divers.</p><p> </p><p>Rachel came to, coughing again, finding herself in the recovery position on the ground. She panicked for a moment, unsure of where she was and what happened to Sloane. Sloane knelt by her side, calming her down, and told her they were safe. The diver recovered her jacket she had placed over the Lieutenant to keep her warm in case she went into shock. The officer groaned and spat. "Auuh, I can’t get the grit out of my mouth," the Lieutenant quietly said.</p><p>Max looked over her shoulder, seeing Chloe returning from the boat with the small cask of rum and the candle holder. The water keg Max had found earlier was unfortunately not safe to drink and the lagoon water was seawater.</p><p>Rachel was placed in a seated position up against a natural rock ledge. The Lieutenant winced as she swished the alcohol in her mouth, then leaned to the side and spat it out, coughing at the intense burn. Max had retrieved some candles that were in one of the supply crates, along with a tinderbox. She used the contents to get a small flame, lit one of the candles, placed it in the candle holder, and put it on a rock. </p><p>Chloe spoke up, "We’ll wait a bit for the dust to disperse, then I can get a proper look at the cave-in, see how bad it is."</p><p>Sloane nodded and looked at her watch then spoke loudly, "My shift starts at seven. Once I don’t show, someone will go look for me-" As Sloane continued, Chloe looked at Sloane's ears to see if there was any blood, "and that should then lead them to notice you're not on board as well," Sloane said, looking at her dive partner. Chloe nodded as Sloane added, "Vic knew where we were heading to the lighthouse."</p><p>"Do you think they heard the explosion?" Max asked.</p><p>Chloe replied as Sloane didn't fully hear her, "Yeah, for sure, whoever is awake at this time at night would’ve heard the explosion... but I doubt that anyone would know it came from the lighthouse."</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Victoria had shot up in bed after hearing a loud noise. With her eyes still closed, she paused for a moment with her bed-head hair and waited to hear if there would be a notification on the speakers or if she would feel another round of morning sickness. When nothing happened, she let her body hit the bed and rolled over back to sleep.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>After a half-hour, Chloe and Sloane went back into the tunnel and surveyed the damage. Chloe tried to push then haul a large piece of rock from the top. "Fuck, it’s sealed up tight." Sloane hummed, also trying to move some of the debris. "Ahhh, Goddammit." She looked at her hand, smeared with blood. Chloe pointed the flashlight at Sloane’s hand. "Fuck, he’s spray-painted all over the place."</p><p>Sloane held out her hand. "Let’s go. I wanna wash this shit off."</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Chloe sat down with the two women while Sloane cleaned her hand by the waterline. "Yeah, it’s sealed. We don’t know how far the collapse is," Chloe stated.</p><p>Max was next to Chloe, hugging herself. "What are we going to do?"</p><p>Chloe took off her jacket and placed it around Max. "Sorry to say, love, but we have to do some recon on Bancroft’s supplies." Chloe looked over at Sloane, who was by Rachel's side, checking on her again. She continued, "How many candles were there?"</p><p>"I don’t know… more than five from the crate I found. There could be more," Max replied.</p><p>Sloane looked over her shoulder. "We got the extra flashlight too."</p><p>Chloe nodded. "We’ll find what we need." She looked in the direction of the sea wall. "There’s enough air passing through those small cracks that we can have a small fire if it gets too cold. Use any extra clothing and the sails to keep warm if we have to." Chloe then looked around at the cavern. "Unfortunately, it may be a while till we’re out of here."</p><p>Sloane turned to look at Chloe and pointed across the lagoon. "I wanna look at that sea wall. The cracks are big enough to let some light in, might get a phone signal out."</p><p>Chloe nodded. "I'll go." Sloane shook her head and Chloe furrowed her brow. "You're in no shape-"</p><p>"I'm going," Sloane stated. Chloe knew it was a waste of time, seeing Sloane's look; the woman was going in the water.</p><p>"The water is gonna be frigid," Chloe added.</p><p>Sloane smiled and got to her feet, then proudly commented, "That right, ladies, I get to strip for you." Max giggled while Rachel let out a little snort under Sloane’s jacket. "Seems only fair since you saw me naked," she said, and the group chuckled. It was too dark in the cavern for anyone to notice Sloane blushing a little. However, seeing the diver unable to keep eye contact with the Lieutenant made the woman smile further.</p><p>Chloe smirked, seeing how Rachel got Sloane a little flustered. "Right, I wanna have a fire started so that once you’re back, you can warm up, ‘cause you’re going to be cold."</p><p>Sloane nodded and smiled again. "You wanna cuddle?"</p><p>Chloe smiled back. "Of course, you love this sexy body."</p><p>Sloane hummed, "Yeah, it’s quite lanky and boney to snuggle up to."</p><p>"Hey," Max retorted, "that’s my girl you’re talkin’ about, Guppy. And she’s tall, fit, and snuggleable."</p><p>Sloane raised an eyebrow at Max’s sass and chuckled, looking at Chloe. Chloe smiled, put her arm around Max and hauled her close. "My sassy lady."</p><p>Sloane added, "Love it, you’re becoming one of us."</p><p>Max proudly smiled, welcoming the compliment.</p><p>"Alright, ladies, let's get to it," Chloe said, putting their plan into motion.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Lit Fuse</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>With needed supplies gathered and placed onboard the Arcadian, Max sighed and mumbled to herself, "I’m destroying history." She laid a small crate of candles next to a native woven blanket in the tent where they would spend the rest of the night to keep themselves warm. Chloe had put together a pottery heater that she had to admit was impressive. She’d taken a ceramic pot and turned it over, propped it up with some rocks about two inches off the deck and put a small candle underneath it. When lit, it would heat the ceramic pot and act as a radiant space heater to keep them warm.</p>
<p>Rachel shook a small cask, confused when she heard what sounded like sand moving around, expecting it was another filled with rum. "What’s in this?" The cask head had been resealed with wax and Rachel hauled the lid open, then used her phone’s light to see what was in it. She gasped and froze.</p>
<p>While emptying another crate to use the wood and hay for burning, Chloe heard the gasp and walked over. "Oh… oh boy… yeah," Chloe said, looking inside the cask. "Ahh, you are not havin’ a good day with explosives, are you?" Chloe took the cask’s head and placed it back on top, then set the filled gunpowder cask on the ground. She took Rachel’s arm and backed away. "We’ll just back away from that… Hey, Guppy, can you mosey on over here for a sec?"</p>
<p>Sloane took the cask and walked to the furthest corner of the cavern and set it down. When she returned, she rubbed Rachel’s upper arm. "It won’t go off unless someone, ya know, tosses a flame on it. It’ll be fine over there. No worries." The Lieutenant shivered a little and rubbed her temple. Another wave of dizziness overtook her. "Think I wanna sit down for a bit and not touch anything." Sloane glanced at Chloe and helped Rachel sit down. They leaned her up against the boat as Sloane looked over her shoulder. "There are some small puddles of water from condensation in the cavern. We can boil it for safe consumption. Just need another pot."</p>
<p>Chloe nodded. "Right." She looked up at Max onboard the Arcadian. "Maxie, we need another pot for boiling water."</p>
<p>"K, give me a sec," she replied, searching.</p>
<p>Sloane knelt down, held Rachel’s jawline and looked at her eyes. "Hey, you still dizzy?"</p>
<p>"Yeah," Rachel whispered.</p>
<p>"Nauseous?"</p>
<p>"Yeah."</p>
<p>"Headache also?"</p>
<p>Another small nod. Rachel held Sloane’s hand, closed her eyes and took a deep breath.</p>
<p>Sloane gently held the woman’s hand. "K. You got yourself a concussion, for sure. So, no moving around and no more lifting and bending over. I want you to keep sitting here."</p>
<p>Rachel took another deep breath. "Nausea and dizziness are going away."</p>
<p>"Good, bending over and picking up something like the cask was enough to bring on the symptoms. So you rest and watch Maxie build a fire. Let any one of us know if you feel sick or dizzy again."</p>
<p>Rachel lightly nodded.</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>Max snorted and placed some hay under a broken crate. "I didn’t actually believe you when you said you two had matching tattoos."</p>
<p>Sloane had taken off her shirt and pants, revealing her butt tattoo. Rachel tiredly chuckled, "Fish cracker named Chloe."</p>
<p>Max, surprised, giggled at what Rachel called it, "Oh dog, you weren’t lying about the name, either." She looked at Rachel and pointed at Chloe's butt. "Sloane."</p>
<p>With the two women laughing at the tattoos, Sloane stood by the waterline. She looked over her shoulder at her butt, then back at the two women giggling. Sloane smirked. "Yeah, well, you’re looking at my butt, so whatev." She then wiggled her eyebrows.</p>
<p>"Alright, Guppy," Chloe smiled, "reel it in and stop flirtin’ with my girl." She looked back at Rachel, who was still looking at Sloane’s almost naked body. She smirked then turned to her dive partner. "Open."</p>
<p>Sloane opened her mouth and Chloe put Max’s phone in it. "The fire will be going by the time you get back and I’ll keep an eye on LT," Chloe added.</p>
<p>"K," Sloane said between her teeth and phone.</p>
<p>Chloe slapped Sloane in the tattoo and, with a motivational voice, encouraged her, "Right, Guppy, get over there and get a signal! It’s just a swim, nothing you haven’t done before." Sloane took the phone out of her mouth and took some big breaths, getting herself psyched up. Chloe leaned forward in Sloane’s ear and whispered, "If you feel cold in there, just know that LT hasn’t stopped looking at you." Sloane raised an eyebrow and before she could turn around, Chloe gave her another butt slap. "Get the job done!"</p>
<p>"Aye."</p>
<p>"Aye. Get in there!"</p>
<p>Sloane put the phone in her mouth and stepped into the cold water.</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p><em> Sweet Jebus merciful Gods, my nips are now innies</em>. Sloane felt the cold burn around her as she neared the sea wall. Chloe had the flashlight on her during the swim and kept encouraging her as she made her way to the far wall. Sloane placed her hand on a ledge, climbed onto a pile of fallen boulders, and then slowly climbed towards a crack in the cavern wall wide enough for her fingers to fit through. She activated the phone.</p>
<p>"You’ve reached Victoria Chase. I cannot take your call right now. Please leave a message."</p>
<p>Sloane kept the message light and friendly, "Uhmm, h-h-hey Vic, f-f-funny thing h-h-happened... you know that thing w-w-we were going to t-take a look-see?" Sloane shivered as she held herself in a ball to keep warm. "Well… someone tried to kill us, there was a gun shoot out, and then he tried to blow us up with old dynamite that was in a tunnel… it collapsed, which is, by the way, under the lighthouse. Max’s Grandpappy and possibly Bluebeard dug it… but not at the same time, obviously. So, anywho, now we’re trapped in a cavern with Captain Bluebeard's getaway boat, The Arcadian, it’s very lovely, a must-see for any historian. Love for you to rescue us, our location, again, is at the lighthouse, a couple of hundred feet down. I had to swim in an underground lagoon to get a phone signal through a crack on the cavern wall. It looks like it had collapsed a long time ago, sealing everything up. Looking out through the crack, I can only see the stars, water and crashing waves, kinda pretty with the full moon if it wasn’t so cold. Wish you didn’t have your ringer turned off, but it is understandable. You and lil' guppy need your rest. Hope you had good dreams. Oh, Rachel...  I mean, the Lieutenant and I were in the tunnel when the explosion occurred. She has a concussion and probably me also, but don't tell Chloe that; we both know how she worries. Oh, almost forgot, Sean Prescott has Max’s Grandpappy’s property up for sale. Can the Foundation purchase it? It has Bluebeard's one hundred and fifty-year-old treasure buried under Max’s old tire swing. She figured it out when her Grandpappy left a clue, only for her to find it onboard The Arcadian. K, uhmm, hope you and the crew are fine, we’ll see you soonish. Oh, one more thing-" Sloane looked back at the woman on the shoreline holding the flashlight on her and smirked. She then whispered quickly, her last words before she ended the call, "This-is-Chloe’s-fault-not-mine, love you, byeee."</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>Sloane knelt, shivering by the fire once she returned. Rachel wiped the water off Sloane’s body using her flannel shirt. Chloe used her bigger hoodie, placed it on the woman, and hauled up the hood to keep Sloane's head warm. Then, with the help of Max, she got Sloane’s jacket on as she shook. "You’re good, Guppy, definitely not as bad as the rescue off the coast of Amsterdam or the polar bear dip in Antarctica."</p>
<p>Sloane, with some difficulty, put her pants on, nodded and groaned as her teeth chattered. "Left a voice message for Vic then sent a co-ordinates text saying I would check for messages from six to six-thirty." She then sat down and draped her own hoodie over her legs for warmth.</p>
<p>Max gave Sloane some hot water that had been boiled. The shivering diver curled the clay candle holder in her hands and sipped it to warm herself up, not noticing that Rachel sat next to her with an arm around Sloane to keep her warm.</p>
<p>--------------------------------------</p>
<p>The women turned in for the night to get a few hours of rest. Victoria was an early-bird and if she did her regular routine, she would be up at six, where Sloane would be waiting.</p>
<p>The makeshift heater that Chloe had put together gave off heat nicely in the tent and emitted a very tiny bit of light, just to pick up a slight shadow. The four laid sleeping on the floor. Max, as usual, curled up and used Chloe as a body pillow, sleeping silently. Sloane shivered, feeling bone-cold, wishing she had an extra pair of socks. She didn’t want to use any of the Nativewear found onboard, choosing not to disturb it. It wasn’t as if she’d never gone through a cold night before, being in the military. Sloane took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to clear her mind of all the scenarios going through her head in their situation. It didn't help her that they were almost in complete darkness and there was nothing to focus on except that they were trapped in a cavern. She couldn’t waste her phone’s battery or any of the limited candle supplies, either, so she couldn't sit out on the deck and tinker with something to distract herself. Sloane took another slow breath, hitching halfway through when she felt warm fingers run into hers. Sloane tilted her head in the darkness at the woman lying across from her, seeing their silhouette. A thumb stroked the back of her hand and Sloane shivered once more, not knowing if it was from being cold or if it was from the contact of another. Either way, she was happy to have it happen.</p>
<p>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Rachel woke up, blinking a few times. She turned her head and looked over her shoulder, seeing that Max and Chloe were still sleeping. Rachel used her jacket as a blanket and the ceramic heater helped to keep her warm throughout the night. She pulled down her coat to see a hooded woman’s nose and parted, squished mouth peeking out from under it, cuddling up to the Lieutenant’s chest. <em> Oh… </em> Sloane slept silently. Chloe’s hoodie's cuffs covered most of her hands, with the fingertips peeked out, curled under her chin. Rachel watched her chest rise and fall in the dim light. She again looked back at the two women sleeping behind her, then to Sloane and their legs intertwined with each other. <em> I was keeping you warm. You were shivering</em>. She lightly pushed back the hood from the woman’s face and watched Sloane in her arms. The woman breathed in a deeper breath through her nose and let it out, smacked her lips, swallowed, and snuggled closer, rubbing her face into Rachel’s chest and letting out a tiny hum of contentment. <em> I wish I could talk… </em> </p>
<p>Sloane's eyes slowly opened and she looked up at her. Rachel felt her body freeze as she looked back. In the quietness of the cavern, Rachel let out a shivering breath, then with her fingertips sliding across skin, moved a few strands of hair that were laying across Sloane's cheek.</p>
<p>Sloane slowly blinked again, watching the woman as she stayed still, wondering if she would get slapped for being in this position with Rachel. <em> I should move. </em> Sloane slowly breathed in and blinked, feeling a calmness within her, <em> but I really don't want to. </em> The reaction Sloane felt from Rachel was a thumb caress her jawline. For a few moments, both took in the closeness and the warmth of each other. Sloane closed her eyes and turned her face into the warmth of Rachel's open hand, keeping it upon her. She then opened her eyes to see that Rachel had leaned her head down to become closer. Sloane tilted her head back and leaned upwards to close the small gap between them as Chloe's phone alarm went off. Rachel's eyes widened and the Lieutenant panicked, pushing Sloane away. Sloane rolled to her back then sat up with her hood covering her face.</p>
<p>Chloe’s morning groggy voice croaked out, "Easy, Guppy, it’s just my alarm-" </p>
<p>Sloane replied with a grunt as she let out a long breath of air.</p>
<p>"-time to get in the water, Guppy."</p>
<p>The diver got to her knees, glanced over her shoulder at the Lieutenant lying on her side, avoiding her eye contact. Sloane got to her feet and replied, tiredly, "Aye."</p>
<p>Rachel closed her eyes for a moment, missing the warmth and the person who had shared it with her. <em> I wish I could. </em></p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>Victoria’s alarm went off on schedule. With eyes closed, her hand went to her phone and swiped the noise away. She sat up with bed head hair and yawned, then a wave of nausea hit her. She opened her eyes and took a calming breath through her nose and out her mouth. <em> When will this end? </em> She gave herself a few moments, hoping that it would pass.</p>
<p>A few minutes later, when her nausea passed, Victoria left her room, covered in a small sweat, carrying her toiletries basket.</p>
<p>"Morning, Boss."</p>
<p>Victoria nodded as she yawned again, passing some crew members. "Mornin’." She walked like a zombie to the facilities and stood in front of the mirror. She yawned once more, feeling better. </p>
<p>"Long night?" a shorter blonde woman asked her.</p>
<p>"Mmhmm." Without opening her eyes, she knew where her toothbrush and paste were and started her morning routine. "How’s it going with the crew’s yearly physical?" she asked.</p>
<p>Kate applied cream to her face while looking into the mirror. "Going well."</p>
<p>Victoria grunted with a mouthful of frothy paste "-ood."</p>
<p>"What about you?"</p>
<p>Victoria grunted again for her answer.</p>
<p>"You look kinda pale. Morning sickness still?"</p>
<p>Victoria let out a long tired sigh.</p>
<p>"You taking your B-12?"</p>
<p>Victoria nodded with the electric toothbrush scrubbing her teeth.</p>
<p>"Okay, I want you to come for some blood tests, should only take a few minutes," the doctor stated.</p>
<p>Victoria mumbled back incoherently to Kate as she picked up her phone. Kate smirked, looking over at the closed eyed woman and her frothing toothpaste mouth, knowing she would try and get out of it. "Tori, make time. That’s an order. I want to see..." The Doctor watched Victoria slowly pull the toothbrush out of her mouth with her phone up to her ear, her eyes were opened wide. The froth and paste splattered over the sink, mirror, and the woman as she remained still listening. Before Kate could ask, Victoria dropped the electric toothbrush; it hit the sink and vibrated around the basin as she ran for the intercom.</p>
<p>Steph sat down and breathed in the mixture of sweetness on her plate. <em> Mafuckin’ chocolate chip waffles, aaaah yeah, get in ma belly. </em> She dug into the food and her mouth salivated at the anticipation. She took a big fork full of breakfast, brought it to her lips and stuffed it in her mouth. Steph closed her eyes to take in the quiet morning of her favorite breakfast. Just as her mouth was sending the wonderful signals of happiness, the ship’s alarm went off and she almost choked on them.</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>The early morning light filtered through the cracks in the cavern wall enough that they could keep their phones and flashlights off and even save the candles.</p>
<p>Sloane was staring back at the three women, shivering. One was thinking as she placed her hoodie over Sloane and the other two were looking at her like she was insane.</p>
<p>A head popped out of the hoodie as Sloane stated. "Just sayin’, I could." She scratched the back of her ear and chewed the side of her cheek, letting them soak in what was said.</p>
<p>Chloe replied, "They would have to, anyways..." </p>
<p>Max slowly turned her head and looked up at Chloe like she was also crazy at the proposition. Chloe elaborated, seeing her girl look at her strangely, "I mean…" She held out her hand displaying the boat. "You’re gonna want it out of here, right? We’re, just…" Chloe twirled her wrist, "ya know, going to be the ones that will do it, now… instead of later." She raised her eyebrows, finishing her sales pitch. "Speeding up the process, if you will." </p>
<p>Max just stared at Chloe. For a few seconds there was complete silence in the cavern. It was broken with the archaeologist yelling, "You're out of your dogdamn minds?!" Chloe froze and went wide-eyed.<em> Uh-oh </em>. Sloane didn't know if Max was stating something or if she was asking a question, so the diver didn't answer, even though it was the same answer for whatever she had asked. "We have broken into a town building… we-we have broken so many laws! There was gunfire..." Max pointed at the Lieutenant, still looking at Sloane. "Rachel-" Rachel, upon hearing her name, immediately stopped glancing at Sloane getting dressed as Max continued, "was shooting… her... gun!" Max then looked at Sloane, "At someone... again, I might add." Max held up and out her hands to pantomime her words. "There was an explosion, with him-" Max waved her extended arms, looking at Chloe and Sloane, "-exploding! A person exploded! And Rachel has a concussion." She pointed at Sloane, who had her hood up and peeked out through, trying to hide within it. "We... I’ve…" Max stared across the waters, "-disturbed an archaeological find, by drinking hundred and fifty-year-old rum and, and, and burning candles." Max put her hands in her hair, worried, and looked back at the boat. "I dumped dried herbs on the deck so we could have a pot to boil water." She looked back at Chloe, dumbfounded, then pointed at Sloane again. "She had to swim in frigid waters with a phone in her mouth like a dog to get a signal because the tunnel blew up from old dynamite that my grandfather might have stolen!" Max looked at Sloane, boggled, "And you wanna blow up the side of the cliff so we can make it to breakfast for… waffles?!!" </p>
<p>Sloane knew to keep her mouth shut and not answer the question.<em> They're really good waffles. </em></p>
<p>There was silence in the cavern once more. Max had turned away from the others as she held her head in her hands. Chloe was unsure if she should try and comfort her just yet. She looked over at Sloane, then to Rachel, then back to Max. She decided to give her time.</p>
<p>Sloane glanced over at Rachel, who was still staring at her. It wasn't in the proposition Sloane had stated, though Sloane didn't know that. The Lieutenant lightly shook her head and then to the surprise of Sloane, smiled. "How bad would it be?"</p>
<p>Sloane raised her eyebrows. "I… It’s going to be loud-"</p>
<p>"No shit," Rachel retorted.</p>
<p>Max lifted her head up and turned to look at Rachel. The Lieutenant was leaned against a large rock with her arms crossed and head tilted.</p>
<p>Sloane continued, "-but you’ll know it’s going to happen, kinda. You can protect your ears." Sloane pointed to the tunnel. "We’ll be in the tunnel as far back as we can go, minus the," Sloane's eyes glanced from Rachel to Max to Chloe as she mumbled the next few words, "uhmm, area with the ahhh, dead guy." She then raised her eyebrows and explained the next bit of information. "The tunnel opening is over ninety degrees away from the actual blast. The initial shockwave and sound will not hit us directly." Sloane looked at Rachel, making sure she had her eye contact. "It won’t be like it was in the tunnel, not even close. You’ll still feel the rumble in your chest, some air pressure change and you’ll hear it... but it won’t be like what you felt before. The tunnel isn’t a straight tube, there’s corners and all of it will dampen the effect."</p>
<p>Sloane looked over at Max, who was turned away from her. "The alternative is that we’ll have to be in here," She looked at Chloe as she spoke, "for at least forty-eight hours, minimum." She then pointed with her hand at the tunnel. "We don’t know how bad the cave-in was, digging and drilling may take days, and the town will have to bring in equipment," Sloane's eyes then glazed over as she stared at nothing. "Technically, we have some explosives onboard the Chase but that will still take some ti-"</p>
<p>"What type of waffles are they?"</p>
<p>Chloe and Rachel looked at Max, stunned. Sloane didn’t say anything, she just stared at the woman as Max turned to look at her. The archaeologist tilted her head to the side, wanting an answer. Sloane stood a little straighter to reply, "Chocolate chip-" She glanced at Chloe, Rachel, then back at Max, "-with a bunch of toppings."</p>
<p>"Strawberries?" Rachel asked.</p>
<p>Sloane looked at Rachel. "Ah, yeah, if you want. They got bananas, too, and blueberries-"</p>
<p>Max stated, "I want whip cream, not the fake stuff, and I want hot fudge sauce, also."</p>
<p>"Aah, o-okay," Sloane replied.</p>
<p>There was another moment of silence as the four women stood facing each other. "We’re gonna blow up a wall for waffles," Chloe said with a smile.</p>
<p>Sloane did her best to control her huge smile. "I make things go boom."</p>
<p>-------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Victoria’s phone booped and vibrated with a message as they were steering towards the cliff with two other rescue boats.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>TEXTuя</strong>
  <br/>
  <strong>🦕Max 🠆 V.Chase</strong>
</p>
<p><strong>Max:</strong> Hey Vic good news, we can get our way<br/>         out ٩(ᐛ)و Could you do me a big fave, Uhmm<br/>         can you make sure no one is around the <br/>         western side of the cliff for the next, saaay <br/>         hour or so. There’s gonna be a small,<br/>         teeny tiny explosion. <br/><strong>Max:</strong> This is Sloane, not Max btw<br/><strong>Max:</strong> Also Max’s avatar is adorable look at it<br/>         Rawr!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Steph watched Victoria quickly text back with fire in her eyes. "I’m gonna kill them."</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>V.Chase:</strong> What are you doing?!!<br/><strong>.</strong><br/><strong>..</strong><br/><strong>V.Chase:</strong> Sloane!<br/><strong>.</strong><br/><strong>.. </strong><br/><strong>… </strong></p>
<p><strong>V.Chase:</strong> Area is clear. Get your ass out here<br/>              so I can kick it</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>About ten minutes later, Victoria mumbled as the boat bobbed up and down off the coast in the Zodiac Hurricane, "They are going to be tasting my boot leather for the rest of the year." Victoria looked up at the flashing lights of the police on the outskirts of the lighthouse cliff, blocking off the area, then over at Commander Madsen and his angry mustache, looking at her from the Coast Guard’s boat. <em> Fucking cut that thing off! </em>Steph quietly stood away from Victoria, inconspicuously recording the cliff wall and waiting.</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>The three women watched from the tunnel opening.</p>
<p>"She’s enjoying this, isn’t she?" Max asked.</p>
<p>Chloe looked over her shoulder. "Love, you just gave her the best early Christmas present ever."</p>
<p>"I can’t believe we’re letting her do this," Rachel added, watching the woman.</p>
<p>Chloe smiled. "I think she’s a good bad influence on you." Rachel lightly smiled, not taking her eyes off of Sloane.</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>Sloane hummed as she worked. The demolitions expert used any material she could find around the site for resources. She tied Rachel’s waterproof jacket around a small crate then laid the cask of gunpowder on top to make a little floating barge. Sloane used three candles and tied them together by their wicks end to end, then coated them in gunpowder and wrapped them tightly with strips of Rachel’s flannel shirt to create a makeshift fuse.</p>
<p>
  <strong>TEXTuя</strong>
  <br/>
  <strong>🦕Max 🠆 V.Chase</strong>
</p>
<p><strong>Max:</strong> Fuze lit</p>
<p>The three watched Sloane dive into the water, quickly swim back to the shoreline and run towards them, half-naked, with a phone in her mouth to take cover with them. "Just another day at the office," Chloe said, turning back to the other women. "Let’s go." The three promptly went into the tunnel.</p>
<p>Sloane reached the tunnel, turned, and watched the smoke still rising from the lit fuse. "Still lit," she smirked and went inside to join the others.</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>In the darkened tunnel, lit up by a flashlight pointing towards the exit, Max watched Chloe. The woman followed Sloane’s instructions and had her fingers in her ears and mouth partly opened to ease the pressure that could be placed on their lungs. Her eyes blinked but never left Chloe’s. Chloe leaned forward and kissed Max on the forehead. Max moved to put her face against Chloe’s chest, wanting her contact, and Chloe tilted her head down to put her cheek against the side of Max’s head. She kissed her again, looked at her, and mouthed, 'I love you.' Max gave her a worried smile and mouthed it back to her, then burrowed her face into Chloe’s neck, wanting her comfort. The diver lowered her head once more to feel the soft cheek against hers.</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>Rachel took another large breath of air to calm her nerves. She sat in a corner, watching as Sloane came in, sat down next to her, and quickly put a hoodie on. The brunette shivered as she looked at her watch, then put her fingers in her ears and glanced at the Lieutenant.</p>
<p>Sloane saw Rachel anxiously stare at her, taking in every movement the brunette made, and wondered when it was going to happen. Sloane could only give her a small smile and a wink to help ease her nerves. Rachel, on the other hand, could no longer wait. Her heart was slamming in her chest, she had shortness of breath and felt lightheaded. It was a fuse that was already lit and had been smoldering for a while. She set herself off by slowly leaning forward in the darkened tunnel and for a few moments, two people felt the earth move for them.</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>Steph stood with her arms getting tired, holding out her phone with the live stream. Her stomach grumbled once more and her thoughts went to the plate of waffles she’d left behind. Victoria glanced at her, hearing the grumble of her stomach, then to the phone. She lightly shook her head. <em> He’s probably eating popcorn watching this </em>. "Morning, Dad."</p>
<p>A happy, enthused reply from the Admiral put a smirk on his daughter’s face, "Morning, Honey. This is exciting!"</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>The townsfolk of Arcadia Bay, in their early morning routines, all heard the explosion. Family members, co-workers and friends looked at one another for a moment and then all asked the questions, "What was that?" followed by, "Did you hear that?"</p>
<p>Some of the crew of the Chase, along with Coast Guard officers, watched the west side of the Arcadia Bay cliff explode outwards and rain down a hail of rock and stone into the ocean.</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>Sloane stood proudly by the shoreline in a hoodie with her hands on her hips, wearing her boots and with no pants on. "Ha! I make things go boom!" She smiled like a kid at Chloe who smiled back at her and the opening she’d created in the seaside wall. The once collapsed sea stack was cleared, re-opening the lighthouse cavern. Morning light rays flooded into the area and The Arcadian basked in the sunlight for the first time in one hundred and fifty years.</p>
<p>
  <strong>TEXTuя</strong>
  <br/>
  <strong>🏴☠️Chloe 🠆 🛩️Victoria</strong>
</p>
<p><strong>Chloe:</strong> Everyone is ok here</p>
<p><strong>Victoria:</strong> We’re good, no one affected</p>
<p><strong>Chloe:</strong> Slo said to give it another two minutes<br/><strong>Chloe:</strong> image-2179225.jpg<br/><strong>Chloe:</strong> Stay on your left, there are two obstructions in the water</p>
<p>Victoria looked up from her phone then motioned for one of the small Chase zodiacs in their pack to come over. She then went into the cabin and radioed the Coast Guard boat on her starboard.</p>
<p>Max hit the send button on an email then looked up, hearing an outboard engine, then saw the silhouette of the smaller zodiac boat coming through the cavern. Chloe stood by Max's side, put an arm around her, and smiled. "You’re about to be a popular lady."</p>
<p>Max took a picture of the boat coming towards them.</p>
<p>"Sloane?" Rachel said, looking at the half-naked woman.</p>
<p>Sloane turned, raised and lowered an alluring eyebrow. "Yeah?" She stepped up close to Rachel, and they stared at each other for a few seconds. The Lieutenant gently cleared her throat, feeling a little overheated. "Think you better put these on." She held up Sloane’s pants between them and watched a flirtatious smirk emerge from the brunette. <em> Ooh God, that smile</em>. She watched Sloane’s eyes travel down to her lips then back up to her eyes and Rachel's only thought was, <em> I want to kiss you again and again and again. </em> Rachel tried and failed miserably not to smile at what happened in the tunnel as she nudged Sloane in the chest, quietly saying, "Put your pants on."</p>
<p>Using her feet, Sloane took off her boots and put one foot in her pant leg then brought up her other foot. Rachel grinned and added, "Though I would like to see them off again, sometime."</p>
<p>Sloane’s eyes shot up to see Rachel’s own flirtatious look as she bit her lower lip. <em> Oh Gods</em>. Sloane lost her balance, hearing what the Lieutenant said, and tripped forward, falling to the ground with part of her foot in her pant leg and Rachel giggling.</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>Victoria and Commander Madsen sat at the front of the zodiac and took in the view before them. Four women stood side by side, smiling like idiots next to a one hundred and fifty-year-old- "Gunboat," Commander Madsen said. He looked over at Victoria then back at the old boat in awe.</p>
<p>---------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>With the sound of cutlery, food getting cooked on the grill and morning talking by the locals, the Two Whales television showed the morning news as truckers sipping their morning coffee looked onward.</p>
<p>"Good morning, Bay area, I’m Marie Perry." </p>
<p>"And I’m Gary Reynolds. Welcome to Kbay7 Morning News. We are going live to the town of Arcadia Bay, where a small explosion occurred in the early morning. On scene is our very own Kbay7 reporter Juliet Watson. Juliet, what can you tell us?"</p>
<p>The reporter stood on a fishing boat with the camera pointed towards her. "Good morning Gary and Marie. Just an hour ago, an explosion occurred off a cliff just behind my shoulder in the small fishing town of Arcadia Bay." The reporter turned and held up her hand that had her phone in it to show the cliff and the lighthouse above it. She looked down at her phone, checking her notes for a second. "Townsfolk heard an explosion just before seven this morning-" The cameraman tilted off the reporter as she began her news report, reading once again from her notes. The camera zoomed into the Arcadian cliff and the reopened cavern. "-and calls to the local police went in minutes after, with people asking what had happened. Some first thought it may have been an explosion at the gas station, which wasn't the case. What we have found out so far was that the police were notified of the unscheduled detention just about an hour before it occurred..."</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>The little town of Arcadia Bay had their fifteen minutes of fame. Dana and Trevor, along with some of the other Coast Guard officers at the base, watched as they saw their Lieutenant onboard the zodiac, emerging from the lighthouse cavern. "Rachel?!" Dana said and immediately went to her phone for answers. "Oh God, I’m gonna kick her butt. Is that a cut on her face?" she said worriedly.</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>Sean Prescott stood in his office looking at the morning’s National News with Arcadia Bay on the screen and the news title ‘One Hundred and Fifty-Year-Old Pirate Boat Found.’ Courtney, his assistant, walked towards his office with his morning coffee. Once she heard him yell obscenities and then something crash against the wall, she stopped and turned around.</p>
<p>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Sure enough, Chloe was right; the Admiral showed up less than twenty-four hours after Victoria’s call to him. Steph walked into the Lab first, grinning from ear to ear, followed by the Admiral, who smiled an infectious smile. "Sweetie," Chris Chase said to his daughter, then kissed her on the forehead and gave her a hug. "Your mother sends her love."</p>
<p>"Dad," Victoria replied, "thanks for coming down on short notice."</p>
<p>"Ha, how could I not, with this find? It’s incredib-" he looked at Victoria teacup and looked confused, "Honey, why are you drinking a sea urchin?"</p>
<p>Sloane’s eyes widened. "That’s what I said!"</p>
<p>The Admiral turned to see the two crew members. "Chiefs!"</p>
<p>Chloe and Sloane replied, smiling, "Sir!"</p>
<p>He held out his arms, chuckling as he walked towards them. "My partners in fun times, Ha Haa!" He gave them hugs and stepped back. Victoria, at his side, made the introduction, "Admiral, this is the Coast Guard’s Lead of Operations for Arcadia Bay, Commander David Madsen."</p>
<p>The Admiral lost all his emotion, gave him a stone-faced look and shook the man’s hand. He followed it with a nod. "Commander, fine work you’ve done for us. And making sure my daughter was kept in line."</p>
<p>The Commander was caught off guard with the serious look and strong handshake. He could only reply with a ‘Yes sir’ and a ‘Thank you, sir.’</p>
<p>Victoria continued, "The Commander’s Lieutenant and part of the four, Lieutenant Rachel Amber."</p>
<p>"Haa!" The Admiral smiled, shook the Lieutenant’s hand, and then with his two hands, did the gesture of firing two guns and winking at her. "Keeping my Chiefs safe, thank you."</p>
<p>Rachel, also caught off guard at the Admiral's antics, had her eyebrows raised, speechless for a moment. "Ahh..." She looked past the Admiral at Sloane and Chloe, who smiled back at her with their own finger guns gesture. "Yeah, you’re welcome." <em> He does look like Sean Connery. </em></p>
<p>"And this is Max-" Victoria said.</p>
<p>The Admiral already had his hand out, shaking Max's, and smiled widely. "Doctor Max Caulfield, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you."</p>
<p>Max, wide-eyed, smiled back. "Nice to meet you."</p>
<p>The Admiral stepped back, looked at the four women and rubbed his hands excitedly. "So ladies, what did you find?"</p>
<p>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>A week later…</p>
<p>"Good evening Bay area. I’m Bailey Quentil."</p>
<p>"And I’m Patsy Star. Tonight on Kbay7 News, our continuing story of the pirate ship that once belonged to the infamous pirate from the eighteen-hundreds known as Bluebeard. And more coming up, but first, we are the first to report Oregon’s entrepreneur and businessman Sean Prescott was arrested today. Our own reporter Juliet Watson for the past few days was involved in a news investigation that helped local police uncover the goings-on with The Prescott family. Some of the charges include embezzlement, corruption, aiding and abetting, blackmail, larceny and accessory to commit murder. Right now, Sean Prescott is being held without bail in a Portland lock up, awaiting a hearing. We have reached out to the Prescott family for a statement, but no calls were returned before the time of this broadcast. We’ll keep you informed of any new events as they occur… In other news. Who wants to be a pirate-"</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>Max curled up with Chloe on Rachel’s couch. She shook her head at the tv. "I can’t believe I was in his home and he was planning this."</p>
<p>Chloe replied, "That fuck is going to prison for life. No amount of money is going to get him off for what they have on him."</p>
<p>Sloane leaned up against the wall, looking at the tv while drying a dish plate. "Well, I guess we can thank Kanji for making a phone that can withstand a dynamite explosion." She put the dish towel over her shoulder. "And to the idiot that never deleted his text messages." Eliot’s phone had been recovered in the tunnel and it led the state police to look into Nathan and Sean Prescott’s involvement.</p>
<p>Max yawned. "Alright, sleepyhead, time for bed." Max groaned at Chloe’s statement as she was helped off the couch by her girlfriend. "Someone has another meeting bright and early with her new team."</p>
<p>Max smiled tiredly and replied, "I still feel bad for taking leave from the Bayocean project."</p>
<p>Rachel stood up from the couch to see the couple out. "You said that Mark and Warren are good, right?"</p>
<p>"Yeah, Doctor Andersen will do a great job helping them." Max grinned. "And I’m sure Warren is more than happy to take my place on board The Chase to be closer to Brooke." The woman smiled at her statement. "You need a ride, Guppy?" Chloe asked.</p>
<p>"Nah, I’ll walk, take your sleepy otter back to the dorms," Sloane replied as she put the last dried dish away. </p>
<p>"Right. Rach, thank you for dinner," Chloe said, holding her stomach.</p>
<p>"Yeah, thanks, Rach, it was great," Max added.</p>
<p>"Hey, no problem, we should do it more often," Rachel said, smiling.</p>
<p>"You keep making spaghetti like that I’ll definitely take you up on the offer," Chloe replied. "See you first light, Guppy, we’re back on the same schedule." Chloe put her hand on the doorknob and looked at her dive partner.</p>
<p>Sloane sighed, "Yeah, but this time you’re cleaning the shower stalls and that-"  Sloane shivered, "...drain." The punishment had started all over once again.</p>
<p>Chloe opened the door, smiling. "Hey, at least it’s not cleaning barnacles." She said goodnight once more and the couple left for the evening.</p>
<p>Sloane placed the dish towel over the oven door handle to dry then walked over to her jacket. "So."</p>
<p>"So," Rachel replied, leaning on the kitchen counter.</p>
<p>"How many more days till you’re back to work?" Sloane asked.</p>
<p>"If last time is any indication, maybe in the new year... but it’s still up to the therapist."</p>
<p>"Ah, right." Sloane was unsure if she should ask. "Is-is that going o-okay... I mean, you don’t have to tell me, just want to know you’re alright n’ stuff."</p>
<p>Rachel smiled. "It’s going well. I wasn't responsible for his death so these sessions are…" she looked at Sloane, "different now."</p>
<p>Sloane nodded. "Good… that's good." She didn’t know what else to say and didn't want to push Rachel into anything so she turned and put her hand on the doorknob. "Let me know if I can help in any way, okay?"</p>
<p>"I told Dana," Rachel quickly said. Sloane turned back and slowly raised an eyebrow, she kept quiet and let Rachel take her time. "She… she said she kinda knew."</p>
<p>Sloane smirked. "A bit of weight off your shoulders?"</p>
<p>Rachel was relieved and smiled. "Yeah. She laughed and gave me a hug and said-" Rachel rolled her eyes, "-welcome to the bi club."</p>
<p>Sloane chuckled, "Bi club?"</p>
<p>"Bi club," Rachel lightly shook her head. "Yeah, I don’t know."</p>
<p>"Well, does it come with a club battle jacket?"</p>
<p>Rachel chuckled and Sloane laughed with her and continued. "It’s great to know that you have her support, you will find it with others, I’m sure, and if not, fuck’em." Sloane raised an eyebrow again. "Not literally, of course."</p>
<p>Rachel chuckled again. "Yeah, I didn’t know D was bi. I never asked her, but now that I look back at our conversations..." Rachel smiled without needing to explain.</p>
<p>Sloane smiled back and zipped up her jacket. There was a pause between them and she nodded. "I’ll see you…" Sloane quickly thought for a second; she didn’t know when she would see Rachel again. </p>
<p>Rachel leaned forward and lightly kissed Sloane on the lips. "How about tomorrow for lunch?" <em> Wow</em>. Rachel thought about how it felt.</p>
<p>Sloane had a tiny smirk. <em> Wow</em>. She didn’t answer, she was too busy staring at Rachel’s lips.</p>
<p>The Lieutenant panicked a little, "Or-or not, I… if Vic has you working through lunch..."</p>
<p>Sloane’s smirk grew into a smile, seeing the Lieutenant blushing. She leaned forward and gently kissed the woman back, quieting her. "Sorry, you kinda blew my mind again." </p>
<p>Rachel had her mouth open to say something but couldn’t speak. She looked back and forth into Sloane’s eyes, then to her lips. Sloane placed her hand on Rachel’s jaw and kissed her again. She drew her thumb across the soft cheek. "My lunch is at one and I definitely want to go to lunch with you."</p>
<p>"K." </p>
<p>"K, night."</p>
<p>"Night."</p>
<p>Sloane stepped back, winked at her then left.</p>
<p>It took a few seconds for Rachel to breathe again once the door was closed. Sloane left with a huge smile and a feeling something she hadn’t felt in years.</p>
<p>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Max stood in her grandfather’s backyard. She breathed in the cool air that had the smell of salt in the breeze then looked at the tire swing and the rope that barely kept it attached. The whole backyard was covered in a thin layer of frost from the overnight temperature drop, giving the area a small sparkle. Max looked over her shoulder to the window of her grandfather’s office room and smiled. <em> Thank you Athair mór for the birthday gift. </em></p>
<p>
  <em> *Click-Whirrrrrr* </em>
</p>
<p>Max turned further around to see her parents standing in the back doorway of the home. Her father held one of Micheal's old Polaroid cameras, removing the picture he had just taken. He smiled and commented, "Like I’m not gonna take a picture of my daughter’s first day of her solo lead dig."</p>
<p>Max’s mom, Vanessa, wrapped her cardigan around herself more tightly and hugged herself with one arm while she took a sip of her coffee. "Maxine, you want a coffee?"</p>
<p>A giggle to her left was poorly held in. Max glanced at the giggler. "You shush." She then gave a smiling glare, not turning away to answer her mother, "No thanks… Mom."</p>
<p>There was another giggle. "Sorry," Chloe said, then leaned down and kissed Max on the forehead.</p>
<p>"Chloe, how about you?" Vanessa asked.</p>
<p>"I’m good, thanks," she replied back, smiling.</p>
<p>"Okay. Well, I have a pot on if anyone wants any. Maxine, make sure you have your coat done up, you don’t want to catch a cold." Chloe giggled again as Max rolled her eyes with a grin.</p>
<p>"Yes, mom."</p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>During the Prescott investigation and with Chris Chase’s lawyers' it was found out that Ryan’s high school lawyer friend he trusted years ago to help the family had taken a bribe from Sean. He negligently didn’t tell Ryan by law that there were a couple of ways he could’ve kept his father’s house. With The Chase’s lawyers stepping in, a judge quickly ruled that the home and the contents were to go back to the ownership of the Caulfield family. </p>
<p>-------------------------------</p>
<p>"So, you ready for this?" Chloe asked, standing by Max's side.</p>
<p>Max took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah."</p>
<p>"Have a fun day at work, Love. Text me when you find it. Some of the crew want to come over and watch."</p>
<p>"Thank you, Leannán." The two kissed, then Max stepped around the corner of the house. Her new team looked at her and she smiled. "Okay, morning, everyone. Can I please get the tent set up, then the heaters to warm up the ground…"</p>
<p>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Under a heated tent to keep the ground warm, an archaeologist diligently worked away with her earbuds in, listening to her music as her team carefully brushed away dirt and debris from the latest find. Half of an old military metal storage box was uncovered under a tire swing. Max took out her earbuds and her team stopped working. She nodded and they collected their tools and moved away from the unearthed area. Then someone stepped in to take a few photos for documentation. Max turned around and smiled, asking, "So, can you open it?"</p>
<p>A smirk appeared on Sloane's face and she knelt, then began working away. With a click a few seconds later, the lock opened. She stepped back, taking her place next to Chloe, Rachel, Victoria, Steph, Max’s parents, and some other Chase crew and university colleagues.</p>
<p>Max knelt and held the lock. Her thoughts were of her grandfather throughout the years, telling her stories and history lessons. She took off the lock and opened the old metal box. The group of people watching reacted with ‘wow’s,’ gasps, and a few quiet obscenities. For Max, she only saw one thing... there, on top of William Bancroft’s one hundred and fifty-year-old golden legacy, was a priceless treasure of a birthday card envelope with Max’s name on it. One last gift from a grandparent to a granddaughter.</p>
<p>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>"Good morning Bay area I'm Gary Reynolds."</p>
<p>"And I’m Marie Perry and this is Kbay7 Morning News. This morning's top story that we’ve all been following, Bluebeard's treasure." </p>
<p>The tv cut to the footage showing Max and her team standing off to the side of a table. Camera flashes went off as Arcadia Bay’s mayor was making a speech. The camera zoomed in on a table, displaying gold nuggets and some jewelry that Bancroft had stolen throughout the years. Then the camera panned up to Max, smiling at the media as she listened to the speech.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Every Ending Has New Beginnings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Note: thank you, bboy-5, for the translations :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The day had come, one that some of the crew were happy to have. But for two crew members, it was a somber sight to see. A week ago, the Oregon State University vessel had arrived and anchored itself inside Arcadia Bay. For the past few days, university personnel and some of The Chase crew were in the process of the changeover. The Chase and their crew had finished the contract job and the university would be taking over for the rest of the Bayocean project. </p><p>From the lighthouse park bench, Chloe watched The Chase vessel navigate its way for the final time out of the bay and into open waters. She closed her eyes and cuddled her face back into Max’s collarbone and neck. Her arms squeezed tighter around the woman that sat sideways on her lap. Every moment was now precious to them. Max leaned down and placed her cheek onto the top of Chloe’s head. One hand gently scratched the back of Chloe’s neck and combed her fingers through her hair, then Max kissed the top of Chloe’s head, wondering when it would end. Her question was answered as Chloe’s phone vibrated with a text. The diver didn’t move from her embrace. Instead, she gently rocked the two of them side to side. When the second text came through, Chloe took out her phone and replied with an ‘Aye’ and placed her phone back into her coat. She rubbed her face into Max’s neck and closed her eyes. "It’s time…" Chloe quietly said.</p><p>"I don’t wanna do this," Max whispered back.</p><p>Chloe replied a few seconds later, "I know, Love, neither do I."</p><p>"Can we stay like this for a little while longer?" Max quietly asked as a tear fell from her lash. She felt her body getting held tighter.</p><p>"Sure, just for a little while longer," Chloe replied, feeling the constriction in her throat.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Sloane sat quietly in the beat-up pick up. She felt a huge emptiness inside her as she stared at her thumbnail, picking at a crease in the steering wheel. Her mind drifted off to someone again...</p><p>She stood by the side of Rachel’s bed, dressed. The woman on the bed was wrapped in a bedsheet, red-eyed and quietly crying. Sloane combed her fingers through the long, blonde hair and looked into hazel eyes. She leaned forward and kissed Rachel on the forehead, the bridge of her nose then to her lips. Rachel knelt up, letting the sheet fall to the bed, and hugged Sloane. The diver tilted her head down and kissed the woman’s bare shoulder, softly taking in every second. Sloane’s phone notification went off and the two women held on to each other in the quietness of the home.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Sloane came out of her memory with the truck passenger door opening. Max glanced at Sloane and gave her a sad smile as she climbed in and sat beside her, followed by Chloe. Sloane started the truck and drove to the Coast Guard Headquarters to catch their flight.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>The three stood outside the truck at the Coast Guard Headquarters outside the fencing gate.</p><p>Sloane whispered into Max’s ear as she hugged her hard, "I’ll make sure she keeps in touch, Max." </p><p>"Thank you," Max replied.</p><p>Sloane picked up her backpack from the truck bed and strapped it over a shoulder. She smiled at the archaeologist. "I’ll be seeing you, Maxie." She tossed the keys to the truck into the air and Max caught them. "The heater is still hit or miss and she pulls to the left a little." Sloane leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. "Take care, Long Indy Mad Max Silver, Scourge of the Pacific Seas. Have fun playing on your pirate ship."</p><p>"You too, and I will," Max replied with a smile.</p><p>Sloane walked away and turned her head, looking back with a big smile. "Careful of drinking any more of Bancroft’s rum, unless you want more chest hairs." Max and Chloe chuckled as Sloane waved her friend goodbye. As she walked towards the aircraft, she saw Dana and Trevor waving by the fencing and she walked over to say her goodbyes.</p><p>Chloe turned to Max and began to say their quiet goodbyes. Max put her head down and her lips trembled as her head touched Chloe’s chest. "I really don’t want to do this."</p><p>Chloe held Max, fighting back the tears. She swallowed and tried to speak without sobbing, "I know, Love." She tilted her head down onto Max’s and looked into sad blue eyes. Chloe placed her hand gently onto Max’s cheek. "I’m not letting you go... you’re stuck with me till the end of time."</p><p>Max lightly smiled and cried a little, "I would like that, Leannán." The two kissed one another, sealing their promise, and held each other for a little while longer.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>The two divers walked in silence toward the Osprey aircraft. Chloe turned back, watching Max text on her phone, then got into the truck and pulled away from the parking spot. Chloe clenched her jaw, pursed her lips, then retrieved her sunglasses from her pocket, putting them on quickly. <em> Till the end of time. </em></p><p>Sloane, a few strides behind her dive partner, from the corner of her eye, spotted Rachel behind the Coast Guard building, away from everyone. Sloane dropped her backpack and jogged over as the aircraft’s engines started. Reaching her, Rachel had pocketed her phone and embraced Sloane. "I had to say bye again." Sloane felt the tightness of the hug and rubbed the Lieutenants back to give her some comfort and wanted to be held by her again. "This is really hard," Rachel said as her voice cracked.</p><p>Victoria, in the cockpit doing her flight checks, looked up at the two standing away from prying eyes. For a moment she watched their embrace and kiss, then went back to her pre-flight list.</p><p>Sloane held the woman’s jaw, caressing her cheek. "Let me know when you hear back about getting time off." The two were planning to vacation together, it didn’t matter where they were going as long as they did it together.</p><p>Rachel sucked in her lips and nodded, unable to speak at the moment. Sloane leaned down and kissed her on the bridge of her nose. "We can make the time and we will find a way, Chel." Rachel thought of how Sloane started to call her that. It would only be meant for her to say it and no one else.</p><p>Rachel nodded again and fought to get the word out through her throat constriction, "Okay." Sloane brushed a tear that was rolling down the blonde’s cheek. Then she kissed the area and said, "We can do this." Sloane then leaned back and looked eye to eye with Rachel to make a point of her words. Both nodded, agreeing. "We can and we will." The plane’s engines started to get louder and Sloane had to speak up, "I’ll call you when we have to land for fuel."</p><p>Rachel nodded as her hair moved in the wind. "Okay." Sloane looked over her shoulder; it was time to leave. She looked back at Rachel once more and embraced her with one last, slow kiss. She smiled for her, curled the woman’s hair over an ear and took her hand, giving a kiss on her knuckles along with a small squeeze, then Sloane turned away. They held each other’s hands as their arms stretched outwards, then their fingertips slowly slipped away from one another. Rachel held herself as she wiped more tears away. Sloane put on her sunglasses, furrowed her brow, retrieved her backpack off the tarmac, and walked towards the aircraft.</p><p>Chloe stood on the Ospreys loading ramp and gave Sloane a small condolence slap on the shoulder as she stepped on board. The two divers saw that Max had parked next to Rachel by the side of the building; both were comforting and supporting each other as they watched the two women in front of them. The aircraft’s engine throttled up and the propellers slowly started to engage. Chloe took a long deep breath and let it slowly out, never taking her eyes off of Max as the loading ramp slowly closed and the two divers waved their final goodbyes. <em> I’m not letting you go. </em></p><p>A half hour later, Max, Rachel, and a few townspeople of Arcadia Bay watched or heard The Chase’s Osprey disappear over Oregon’s mountainside.</p><p>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>Five months later…</p><p>Steph was underwater at an excavation site with Chloe and some other Chase divers. Sloane was at the controls of the submersible carrying a container in the clamps that held a few larger artifacts lying inside. The underwater crew heard the notification from topside that the workday was done and made for the surface. It had been another long day for Chloe as she did another double shift without being asked.</p><p>Sloane stepped out of the Fishbowl and shielded her eyes from the Caribbean Sea sunset, then walked over to the two divers.</p><p>Chloe looked down at her phone as she hung up her dive suit, hoping that during her dive she might have gotten a message. Her shoulders slumped, seeing no notifications again and the heaviness in her heart seemed to get a little more weighed down. Steph glanced over at Sloane as she walked up to them. Both ladies noticed Chloe’s posture had changed and both knew not to ask for the moment, waiting for Chloe to be the one to bring it up. The tall diver pocketed her phone and kept her head down as she shelved the last of her equipment. Eating became a chore for the diver over the previous few weeks. Sloane and Steph made sure she ate at least one meal a day to put something in her stomach, something that Victoria kept on them to make sure they followed through.</p><p>Chloe walked away from the two without a word and towards the galley for dinner. Sloane’s words she'd spoken to her months ago at Arcadia Bay's dock played in Chloe's head again, <em> You can do everything possible to be with her and still have it fail because she didn’t follow through on her end </em>. It was another day of Max not replying to Chloe. The archaeologist's last message said that she had several meetings she had to attend and some reports she had to finish for a deadline and apologized for not keeping up with their communications. It was understandable that they couldn't keep in constant contact. Still, all Chloe needed was a simple 'morning' or 'hey, thinking about you.' Any words meant the world to the diver. Silence meant something else.</p><p>The ship’s intercom called out. "Attention, Gygax, Price, and Guppy to meeting room one. Gygax, Price, and Guppy to meeting room one."</p><p>Sloane looked at Steph, with the woman shrugging her shoulders over the request and slightly shook her head. "I dunno," Steph said before Sloane could ask what it was about.</p><p>"Maybe something of big interest was uncovered," Sloane said, widening her eyes.</p><p>Steph rolled her eyes. "Don’t start."</p><p>"Hmm, maybe it’s directions to the lost city of Atlantis," Sloane said as they walked towards the meeting room, "or a genie in a bottle."</p><p>The two entered the room and saw other crew members around a table. They took a seat with the others. "We still on for tonight’s dungeon quest?" Steph asked.</p><p>Luke sitting across from her, answered, "Yeah, hopefully we can figure out how to get someone’s butt out of the sandpit that has a Bulette digging about." He smiled with a glare at Sloane.</p><p>Sloane smirked back, "What can I say, I like to leap before I look."</p><p>"And your butt is gonna get eaten by a landshark because of it," the divemaster replied.</p><p>Chloe entered the room and quietly sat down without greeting anyone. She placed her phone on the table before her and stared off into space.</p><p>Victoria, standing at the other end of the room, turned with her hand on her lower back, let out a breath of air and gently rubbed her very pregnant stomach. "Oh mother of God, I need this kid outta me."</p><p>Both Luke and Sloane stood to get a chair for Victoria. The woman waddled over, murmuring curse words and then plopped down into a chair with Luke’s help. "Okay." She took another deep breath and let it out. "First thing, I’ve just got the email that our expert will be starting next week to begin cataloging the finds and to help out the local college with training some volunteer students and others, to keep up with the demand." In the distance, they heard a helicopter’s engine. Victoria quickly looked at Luke; the man knew what to do and placed two large arms around Sloane to keep her in her chair. "My replacement-" Victoria started to say. Sloane immediately tried to get out of her seat. "Sloane. Stay." Victoria commanded. "-will be landing soon."</p><p>Chloe glanced and clenched her jaw, wanting what Sloane had. The jealousy was there for sure but she didn’t hate Sloane because of it. The woman needed some happiness in her life and she worked hard for it and deserved it after the past few years of hell that she had to go through. Sloane finally had a chance at something good in her life and Chloe wished that it was her. <em> You can do everything possible to be with her and still have it fail because she didn’t follow through on her end. </em> Chloe couldn’t get Sloane’s words out of her head and she furrowed her brow then swore internally.</p><p>Victoria continued as Sloane struggled to get out of two meat hooks that were keeping her in the meeting room. "I’ll still be here by the end of the month, like I said before, to help her merge in with the new job. So, we all have one month to get her up to speed with everything." Victoria leaned over on a hip to ease some pressure on her back then waved at Luke. "Alright, let her go." The two meat hooks released the wiggling worm, and Sloane was out the door in two strides.</p><p>Victoria smiled then looked back at the crew. "Luke and Chloe, both your vacation times have been approved." Luke smiled and pumped his fist. Chloe simply nodded and realized she might not need to take the time off anymore, there might not be a reason to. <em> You can do everything possible to be with her and still have it fail. </em> She watched Victoria speak, not taking in anything she was saying until the soon-to-be mom turned and looked at her again. Chloe came out of her internal thoughts. "-So it should be here or arriving this evening at the bus depot; take the Jeep ‘cause it’s going to be bigger than what can fit on a moped." Chloe again nodded without commenting at being asked to pick up a supply crate. She didn’t mind, it kept her busy. <em> Because she didn’t follow through on her end. </em> Chloe closed her eyes and wondered if she should fall into a bottle to get the reverberating thoughts out of her head.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Sloane rapidly went down the steps. "Make a hole!" she shouted as she ran through the corridor with crewmembers stepping out of the way, letting her run by. Sloane stepped through the hatch door and onto the deck with the evening sunset falling across her face. She shielded her eyes and scanned the new crew shift members carrying their luggage and walking towards an outer door. "Hey, Tiger," a voice said from behind.</p><p>Sloane smiled widely and turned to see Rachel standing off to the side by a small shipping container. "Chel!" Sloane ran to the woman and Rachel jumped up into the diver’s arms, hugging her with her arms and legs.</p><p>Months of waiting, texts, video calls, emails, phone calls, and one week during Valentine's, the wait was finally over. Rachel was there, she’d made the commitment and stepped into a new life, unafraid and with someone special. Sloane let her down and hugged her again. "I can’t believe you're here, finally."</p><p>Rachel wiped a tear away. "Finally." She placed a hand on Sloane’s cheek and slowly kissed her. Sloane completely gave in, kissing her back, holding her close.</p><p>------------------------------------------------------</p><p>Victoria sat next to Chloe in the Jeep with Steph, Sloane and Rachel in the back seat. The evening’s warm breeze blew through everyone’s hair as Chloe traveled down the dense tropical forest and rural dirt road. Steph was in mid-conversation, "-So we can put it off until next week when you two get back."</p><p>Sloane nodded. "Cool, thanks." Sloane looked over to Rachel, smiling and holding her hand. The new, blonde 'boss-lady' leaned over and kissed her as they drove over the bumpy road.</p><p>Victoria looked over her shoulder. "So, where are you two going?"</p><p>Rachel replied, "U.S Virgin Islands, the Turtle Sands Villa resort. They have private bungalows over the water." </p><p>Sloane happily added, "I’m gonna be butt naked for a week."</p><p>Chloe smiled at Sloane’s happiness and replied, looking at her in the rearview mirror. "Make sure you don’t get your Guppy butt burnt."</p><p>Rachel smiled, "I’ll be happy to look after it." Sloane grinned widened, letting the happiness wash over her.</p><p>Chloe pulled over to let the four out at a village bbq cantina. "Want me to order something for you?" Steph asked. Chloe was going to pick up The Chase’s supplies as Victoria insisted that she needed some gourmet chocolate that was in the supply crate to go along with her evening bbq. Chloe, not wanting to go up against a pregnant woman needing her chocolate fix, agreed to go get it now.</p><p>Chloe shook her head. "Nah, I’ll just have a couple of beers, <em> or six </em>, not really hungry."</p><p>"K, see you in a bit."</p><p>Chloe nodded and left for the local bus and cargo depot.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Chloe got out of the Jeep, passing people waiting for the next bus, large cargo boxes, and two goats tied to a post outside the depot. She walked up to the counter, seeing a woman standing there with a fan pointed towards her as she was fanning herself. "Buenas tardes, he recibido una notificacion de un cargamento que a llegado a la fundacion Chase." (Good afternoon, I received a notification that some cargo arrived for The Chase Foundation.)</p><p>The short, young lady nodded with a big smile. "Si." She then pointed out the door, "Si, afuera por la barda." (Yes, outdoors by the wall.)</p><p>"Gracias."</p><p> </p><p>Chloe walked back out the door as two kids ran past her, laughing. She walked over to the cargo boxes and knelt, reading the shipping labels.</p><p>A flirtatious voice spoke from behind, "Hola hemosa, estas buscando como pasar un buen tiempo? Hmm?" (Hello beautiful, are you looking for a good time? Hmm?)</p><p>Chloe let out a frustrated breath. <em> I don’t need this shit today</em>. She stood and spoke as she turned around. "Look, I’m not looking for some company."</p><p>"No?" the woman replied.</p><p><em> You can do everything possible to be with her and still have it fail because she didn’t follow through on her end </em> … But sometimes, you will find someone that will meet you halfway and make everything right because you also mattered to them. Chloe’s eyes glazed over, her eyebrows arched in heartfelt pain. She tilted her head down as her lower lip trembled, unable to hold her emotions. Max stepped forward and slowly wrapped her arms around the woman she had fallen in love with and held her close. "Leannán." Chloe wrapped her arms around the woman and held her tight. <em> You’re stuck with me till the end of time</em>. Her Max, her love had made the commitment.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>An evening breeze blew through the outdoor village bbq cantina. Local music played as patrons danced, drank, and ate happily. Victoria let out a long sigh, cleaning the bbq sauce from the corner of her lip. "I couldn’t take it anymore with the sulking on board from you two." She tossed a clean rib bone onto her pile that started to look like an ossuary. "As soon as we left Arcadia, you were at the top of the list-" she pointed her finger at Rachel, "as my replacement." The mom-to-be then looked at Max. "And once the local college said they needed help with setting up the dig, excavation, and someone to train volunteers, you were also my first call." Chloe and Sloane, sitting next to each other, looked at one another with ridiculously huge, goofy smiles that wouldn’t leave their faces. "You two didn’t even have to screw up," Victoria added, looking at the two divers sitting across from her. "The worst chores were done voluntarily ‘cause you two were pining so hard. The shower room has never been so clean." Rachel chuckled, looked at Sloane, and kissed her hand.</p><p>Chloe had Max sitting on her lap with her arms wrapped around her love, not wanting to let go. "So, new boss lady, previously known as Lieutenant," she said with a crinkle in her nose.</p><p>Rachel leaned further back in her seat with a leg on top of Sloane’s and smiled at the weird title.</p><p>"We have to change that," Steph said, leaning back in her chair with a beer next to Victoria.</p><p>The other Chase crew members agreed.</p><p>"Mamacita," (Hot Mama) Sloane said with a smile. "Mrrowww!" She got a small slap on the shoulder from Rachel as others chuckled. Sloane leaned over and whispered, "Bella dama." (Beautiful lady) and gave a kiss on Rachel's jaw by her ear.</p><p>Steph hummed. "Well, you did watch us for months on the ship."</p><p>Victoria smiled, "Like a good Coastie perra." (Dog)</p><p>Rachel’s eyes widened and she put down her beer, "You are so not calling me a watchdog."</p><p>The group laughed at the table.</p><p>"Well," Victoria drank her tea and asked the group, "What was the first thing that came to your mind when you saw the Lieutenant?"</p><p>"Why can’t I keep ‘Rach?’" Rachel asked.</p><p>"Blagh, too boring," Steph said. "You earn or are bestowed this name."</p><p>"But what about Chloe?" Rachel inquired, looking at the blonde diver.</p><p>"Price was earned," Chloe replied. "It was actually Priceless," Chloe smiled, "as in I’m one-of-a-kind and hard to replace."</p><p>"Pain in the ass for some reason was downvoted," Victoria murmured with a smirk. Chloe replied by giving her boss a loving middle finger and receiving one in return with a blown kiss.</p><p>Max kissed Chloe’s head, smiling, "Gotta agree with Priceless." Chloe smiled in return and cuddled into Max’s neck.</p><p>"Damn right," Chloe replied.</p><p>The group couldn't help but smile, everyone was happy. Victoria continued, "So, back to the Lieutenant..."</p><p>Chloe spoke up after another mouthful of beer, "Let’s see. Well, you don’t want to be called a dog."</p><p>Rachel rolled her eyes, "Thank you."</p><p>Chloe continued, "You saved Max and me from kidnappers. Then took the brunt of an explosion for Sloane." </p><p>Sloane smiled, "Bomba rubia?" (Blonde bombshell?)</p><p>Steph laughed as Rachel winked at her love.</p><p>Chloe chuckled and added, "Broke into Max’s grandfather’s home."</p><p>Rachel pointed her beer bottle at Chloe, correcting her, "It was already broken into, I would like to remind you."</p><p>"Got all naked for me with a gun, mrrowww," Sloane said, meowing again. "Arma desnuda (Naked Gun) No wait, Soldada encuerada (sexy naked woman with a gun.) No-No-No," Sloane’s eyes widened and she smiled, "Bonbon asesino con una pistola! (Hot Mama with a gun!)" Sloane then fingergunned at her girlfriend, "Pew Pew Pew."</p><p>Rachel giggled, "Aah, no."</p><p>"You have no choice, Chel," Sloane smirked.</p><p>Victoria added, "Hmm, I think we’ll have to wait till you actually screw up to get a name. Fortunate for us," the mom-to-be smiled, "unfortunate for you."</p><p>Rachel chuckled into her beer, "I can’t wait."</p><p>Sloane replied with a giggle, "Oh, we’ll be all over it so that you won’t forget."  </p><p>Steph added, "There will definitely be pictures, too, if you don’t remember, ya know, in case you’ve passed out or were knocked out."</p><p>"Oh, God." Rachel lightly shook her head, chuckling, then she quickly furrowed her brow. "Hey, wait, what about Max?"</p><p>Max raised her brow, not thinking she would get a nickname, considering Max was already a nickname.</p><p>"She has one," Sloane said, taking a mouthful of beer. "Long Indy Mad Max Silver, Scourge of the Pacific Seas." Rachel raised her brows at the length of the name. Sloane then added, "Or, ya know-"</p><p>Chloe, Steph and Victoria along with Sloane, said, "Mad Max." Max smiled as the crew’s beer bottles were raised in the air then tapped on the table, followed by a drink, making it official.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>A barmaid placed more beer around the table for the women as Steph asked, "So what’s it like being free from the Coasties?" Sloane brushed her hand over Rachel’s knee, looking at her. The ex-Coastie swallowed a mouthful of beer and replied, "It’s… I don’t know. I had a set routine for almost a decade. Now, I haven’t realized that it’s going to change…" She scrunched up her nose, "it feels foreign to me."</p><p>Victoria replied, "It’ll take time to adjust to a different lifestyle." Sloane kissed Rachel’s hand as Victoria continued, "You’re up for the task, I’m sure."</p><p>"Well, at least I don’t have to take orders from Command-," Rachel was interrupted when a small boy wearing torn clothing ran into the cantina area, scared, dirty, sweaty and out of breath. He looked around, searching and spotted someone. "Señora, señora usted es Victoria Chase?" (Miss, Miss are you Victoria Chase?)</p><p>"Si." (Yes) Victoria sat up.</p><p>Steph, worried, asked the small boy, "Que pasa?" (What's wrong?)</p><p>The boy looked over his shoulder, hoping not to see anyone behind him. He turned and pushed a small object into Victoria’s hands.</p><p>Steph asked, looking where the boy was looking, "Alguien te esta persiguiendo?" (Is someone after you?)</p><p>The boy didn’t answer her. He made sure Victoria had the object in her hand then looked at the cantina’s entrance. Max stood up from Chloe’s lap as Steph and Sloane stood as well. Rachel watched Sloane place a hand on her holster by her hip with her eyes on the door entrance.</p><p>The boy, worried, held Victoria’s arm. "Mr. Jones dijo que te buscara si algo le llegara a pasar a el. Dijo que te diera esto y tu sabrias que hacer." (Mr. Jones said to find you if something happened to him. He said to give you this and you would know.) The boy squeezed Victoria’s hand closed with the object. "Dijo que tu sabrias que hacer." (He said you would know.) Before Steph could stop him, the boy ran and climbed the small wooden railing and disappeared into the crowded evening streets.</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>Two men came into the cantina, pushing people out of the way as they searched around the small crowd. One looked down at the table, seeing Victoria eat another rib. Steph was leaned back in her chair, talking with her as Chloe and Max made out across the table. They looked away and continued their search. Sloane and Rachel stood at the bar, holding vacationing customers’ empty leftover coconut drinks with little umbrellas. Rachel held up her phone and pretended to take a vacationing selfie with Sloane. She made sure she recorded the two men who stood in front of her.</p><p>One man turned. "We can’t lose that boy!" The two quickly left, jogging down the street, pushing some people out of the away, while looking around.</p><p>Rachel and Sloane returned to the table.</p><p>Victoria tossed another bone onto the pile and cleaned her hands. "You got it?"</p><p>"Yeah, video," Rachel replied.</p><p>"Right, do you have the Captain’s contact number?" Rachel shook her head. "We’ll have to change that. For now, Coastie, send the vid to Steph." Victoria looked at Steph, "send it along with a notification to Cap that Jones is in trouble."</p><p>"Aye," both women replied.</p><p>"Jones?" Max asked.</p><p>Victoria replied, "An archaeologist that’s old friends with the Admiral. He’s spent the last twenty years looking for something." Victoria scanned the area, noting if anyone was taking any interest in them before she continued. "He was to meet with us next week for a report."</p><p>"What was he looking for?" The archaeologist asked, sitting back down on Chloe's lap.</p><p>Victoria leaned towards the table and lowered her voice, "The lost city of El Dorado."</p><p>"Wow, go big or go home," Rachel said jokingly. Her smile dropped when she saw Victoria and Steph’s faces. "Wait, you’re serious?" She then looked at Sloane and Chloe, who both nodded.</p><p>Victoria lifted her napkin that hid the object that the boy had given her. She cleaned the dirty statue that fit in the palm of her hand.</p><p>"El Dorado was a tribal chief called El Hombre Dorado, The Golden Man. It wasn't a lost city made out of gold; that’s folklore," Max replied, looking at the women around the table.</p><p>"Well," Victoria replied. She placed a tiny statue on the table, displaying the one side she’d cleaned, revealing that it was gold, "folklores start from somewhere."</p><p>"Ho-ly shit," Sloane slowly said.</p><p>The six women leaned towards the table. Chloe picked it up and looked at the statue. "So, Mad Max," she handed the stunned archaeologist the artifact and gave her an impish smile, "<a class="" href="https://youtu.be/YxQNuxJ5LBw"> up for another adventure? </a>"</p><p>-------------------------------</p><p>
  <a href="https://youtu.be/YxQNuxJ5LBw"> Bishop Briggs - Champion </a>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey hey, LiS fanfic fans, ( ﾟｰﾟ)<br/>From my first post back in Apr, 5th 2019, I have for 1yr and 8mth posted at least a chapter or a one shot every 2 weeks (over 530,000+ words). Hmm, I think I may have actually posted once per week during that time; I'll have to look that up. Anywho… I think it's time for a break. I don't know when or if I will be back to the fanfic world, so I can only say I hope more writers out there will keep posting. Any new writer's out there that are still on the fence to write their first story or even post one that they've started. Do it. There are so many endless and untapped stories, all within what you can imagine. Fans may see things differently and have different opinions on a character's traits, ships, or even what happens after the storm or before the storm. The one thing we do have in common is LiS and the love to continue on, well after the game, through storytelling. So keep at it and bring the story you have in your head to life for someone to read.<br/>It's been fun and therapeutic for me to write during this time and I hope it will be the same for someone else as well. So, with that said, I'm gonna get a tea, sit back, and see what stories have been posted to keep the LiS fanfic world alive. Take care everyone, this has been a fun ride. -Santa_Cruz٩(ᐛ)و</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>Other stories, check em' out</strong></td>
<td><strong>Music Playlists</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22131271">Adrenaline</a></td>
<td><strong>Life is Strange - Pricefield</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a class="waffle-rich-text-link" href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24501835">And That's How I Would Do It</a></td>
<td> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ohME6aIJFML0ekXf0nZzF">Spotify</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25683547">Belly Button</a></td>
<td> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNcn8xzWbTEZzA99kgxVbMBcylMw3On6v">YouTube</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28306863">Chloe Claus</a></td>
<td> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/20893310/chapters/49664687">Life is Saw</a></td>
<td> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24871243">Moving Forward</a></td>
<td><strong>Chloe Price - Priceless</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24266878/chapters/58484278">Social Distancing</a></td>
<td> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1oQOVxgWOdH03rrjTUC8eR?si=zp73LwzyS16j2VedBOUCow">Spotify</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23817673/chapters/57227440">Tagged</a></td>
<td> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNcn8xzWbTEY_YbjrjTAH5znCwDScqoUD">YouTube</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="#section0001">The Chase <strong>NEW!</strong></a></td>
<td> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/18360968/chapters/43474439">This Action Will Have Consequences</a></td>
<td> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24919501/chapters/60305110">Watchers</a></td>
<td> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></blockquote></div></div>
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